Evaluating, Doing and Writing Research in Psychology : A Step-by-Step Guide for Students

by Philip Bell

• ISBN13: 9780761971757
• ISBN10: 0761971750
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-05-02
• Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd

Summary

Evaluating, Doing and Writing Research in Psychology is a thoroughly revised and expanded co-edition of the highly regarded Reasoning and Argument in Psychology, originally published by UNSW Press, Australia. It represents a comprehensive textbook for all undergraduates in psychology who need to undertake empirical research, taking them step-by-step through the process. In particular, it offers the a range of study skills enabling the student to understand the complex processes involved with psychological research, not really covered in other texts.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	viii
Introduction: The problem	1	(1)
Psychology in the academy	2	(2)
Psychology in the public domain	4	(1)
Arguments strong and weak: Some examples	5	(6)
Understanding and Evaluating Statements	11	(21)
Introduction	12	(1)
Understanding statements	12	(10)
Evaluating statements	22	(8)
Summary	30	(2)
Understanding and Evaluating Arguments	32	(36)
Understanding arguments	33	(9)
Evaluating arguments	42	(21)
Evaluation and understanding	63	(2)
Summary	65	(3)
Explanation	68	(33)
Introduction	69	(2)
Causal and law-based explanations	71	(7)
Causal explanation	78	(1)
Evaluating explanations	79	(11)
Induction and explanation	90	(3)
`Understanding' vs `explanation': Discourse as evidence	93	(5)
Summary	98	(3)
Definition and Clarification of Terms	101	(28)
Introduction	102	(3)
Stipulative (nominal) and descriptive definitions	105	(5)
Operational definitions	110	(5)
Definitions and criteria for the use of theoretical terms	115	(2)
Things, properties and relations	117	(6)
Jargon and obscurantism	123	(2)
Summary	125	(4)
Interpreting Psychological Evidence	129	(36)
Introduction	130	(1)
The comparative nature of evidence	131	(9)
Correlation and cause	140	(9)
Evidence from analogies	149	(12)
Summary	161	(4)
Some Common Weaknesses in Psychological Argument	165	(27)
Illegitimate appeals and assertions	166	(5)
Misleading dichotomies	171	(3)
Relative terms	174	(4)
`Missing links'	178	(3)
`Is' and `ought'	181	(7)
Summary	188	(4)
Levels of Explanation	192	(42)
Introduction	193	(3)
Reductionist explanations	196	(10)
Folk psychological explanations	206	(1)
Information processing/representational explanations	207	(2)
Three levels of explanation of complex systems	209	(3)
Componential explanations	212	(6)
Connectionism	218	(3)
Functional explanations	221	(1)
Evolutionary explanations	222	(8)
Summary	230	(4)
Measurement and Numerical Reasoning	234	(20)
Introduction	235	(1)
Numerical data in psychology	236	(4)
Is the measurement of psychological attributes possible?	240	(4)
Reasoning with numerical codings	244	(5)
Further issues in numerical reasoning	249	(2)
Summary	251	(3)
Researching Psychological Projects	254	(12)
Using the library	255	(7)
Studying the relevant literature	262	(4)
Writing Psychological Essays	266	(31)
Introduction	267	(2)
Essay structure	269	(6)
The question	275	(3)
Evidence	278	(1)
The conclusion	278	(1)
Style	279	(7)
Conventions	286	(6)
Summary	292	(5)
Reporting Observational Studies	297	(12)
The Introduction to a report	299	(2)
Method	301	(3)
Results (Including statistical analysis)	304	(2)
Discussion	306	(2)
Summary	308	(1)
References	309	(6)
Name index	315	(2)
Subject index	317