Principles of Research in Behavioral Science by Whitley, Bernard E;

Long description:

This is an introduction to research methods designed for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate level courses. The text emphasizes question formulation, data collection, and the interpretation of results. The author assumes the reader has had a previous course in research methods and statistics.

Table of Contents:

1. THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY: THEORY, RESEARCH, AND APPLICATION

Science / Theories / Research / Theory, Research, and Application

2. RESEARCH STRATEGIES: AN OVERVIEW

Purposes of Research / Quantitative and Qualitative Research / Research Strategies / Time Perspectives: Short-Term versus Long-Term / Research Settings: Laboratory versus Field / Research as a Set of Tradeoffs

3. THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

Responsibility for Ethical Research / Ethical Considerations in Planning Research / Ethical Considerations During Data Collection / Ethical Considerations Following Data Collection

4. FORMULATING A RESEARCH QUESTION

Formulating Research Hypotheses / Replication Research / Designing Research for Utilization / Bias in the Formulation of Research Questions

5. DEVELOPING A MEASUREMENT STRATEGY

Reliability and Validity / Modalities of Measurement / Evaluating and Selecting Measures

6. THE INTERNAL VALIDITY OF RESEARCH

Confounds / Threats to Internal Validity / Reactivity / Demand Characteristics / Experimenter Expectancies

7. THE EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH STRATEGY

A Note on Statistics / Manipulating the Independent Variable / Controlling Extraneous Variance / Multiple-Group Designs / Factorial Designs

8. THE CORRELATIONAL (PASSIVE) RESEARCH STRATEGY

The Nature of Correlational Research / Simple and Partial Correlation Analysis / Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) / Some Other Correlational Techniques / Testing Mediational Hypotheses / Factor Analysis

9. THE SINGLE-CASE RESEARCH STRATEGY

The Role of Single-Case Research in Psychology / Validity Criteria in Single-Case Research / Case Study Research / Single-Case Experiments / Data Analysis in Single-Case Research

10. RESEARCH IN NATURAL SETTINGS

The Problem of Control in Natural Settings / Field Experiments / Natural Experiments and Quasi-Experiments / Naturalistic Observation / Interviews / Archival Data / Coding Open-Ended Data

11. SURVEY RESEARCH

Asking Questions / Obtaining Answers / Multi-Item Scales / Response Biases / Questionnaire Design / Questionnaire Administration / Survey Data Archives

12. DATA COLLECTION

Research Participants / Research Procedures / Using the Internet to Collect Data

13. INTERPRETING RESEARCH RESULTS

Describing Results / Interpreting the Results / Fitting Results into the Big Picture

14. THE EXTERNAL VALIDITY OF RESEARCH

The Concept of External Validity / The Structural Component of External Validity / The Functional and Conceptual Components of External Validity / Assessing External Validity / Laboratory Research, Natural-Setting Research, and External Validity

15. EVALUATION RESEARCH

Goal Definition / Program Monitoring / Impact Assessment / Efficiency Analysis / Information Utilization / Measuring Change

16. INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEWING

Defining the Research Question / Data Collection / Data Evaluation / Data Analysis / Data Interpretation / A Sample Meta-Analysis

17. WRITING RESEARCH REPORTS

The Research Report / Journal Articles and Convention Presentations / Ethical Issues in Publication

18. THE PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCIENTISTS

Malpractice in Research / Mistakes and Error in Research / Using the Results of Research / Research and the Common Good

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