Psychologist as Detective, The: An Introduction to Conducting Research in Psychology

by Smith, Randolph A.; Davis, Stephen F.

• ISBN13: 9780132277310
• ISBN10: 013227731X
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

The Psychologist as Detective conveys the excitement of research methodology through a lively, conversational style. To make the study of the research process interactive and accessible for readers, pedagogical features and critical thinking activities are integrated throughout the volume. Actual student research appears in each chapter to increase relevance and heighten reader interest. This text evaluates the science of psychology, research ideas and hypotheses, ethics, nonexperimental methods and the basics of experimentation variables and control, statistics, designing-conducting-analyzing and interpreting experiments, as well as alternative research designs, external validity, critiquing experimental research and writing and assemblling an APA-format research report. For individuals involved with or interested in psychological research.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
The Science of Psychology	1	(22)
Ways to Acquire Knowledge	3	(3)
Tenacity	3	(1)
Authority	4	(1)
Experience	4	(1)
Reason and Logic	5	(1)
Science	5	(1)
Components of the Scientific Method	6	(2)
Objectivity	6	(1)
Confirmation of Findings	6	(1)
Self-Correction	7	(1)
Control	7	(1)
The Psychological Experiment	8	(1)
Independent Variable	8	(1)
Dependent Variable	8	(1)
Extraneous Variables	9	(1)
Establishing Cause-and-Effect Relations	9	(3)
Review Summary	10	(1)
Check Your Progress	11	(1)
The Research Process	12	(7)
Finding a Problem	12	(1)
Reviewing the Literature	12	(1)
Theoretical Considerations	13	(1)
Hypothesis	14	(1)
Research Design	15	(1)
Conducting the Experiment	15	(1)
Data Analysis and Statistical Decisions	15	(1)
Decisions in Terms of Past Research and Theory	15	(1)
Preparing the Research Report	16	(1)
Sharing Your Results: Presentation and Publication	16	(3)
Finding a New Problem	19	(1)
Why Is the Research Methods Course Important?	20	(3)
Review Summary	21	(1)
Check Your Progress	21	(1)
Key Terms	22	(1)
Looking Ahead	22	(1)
Research Ideas, Critiquing Research, and Hypotheses	23	(34)
The Research Idea	24	(5)
Characteristics of Good Research Ideas	24	(1)
Sources of Research Ideas	25	(4)
Developing a Research Question	29	(1)
Surveying the Psychological Literature	29	(9)
Critiquing Psychological Research	38	(10)
Review Summary	47	(1)
Check Your Progress	48	(1)
Formulating the Research Hypothesis	48	(1)
Characteristics of the Research Hypothesis	49	(8)
Types of Statements	49	(2)
Types of Reasoning	51	(2)
A New View of Hypothesis Testing	53	(1)
Directional Versus Nondirectional Research Hypotheses	54	(1)
Review Summary	55	(1)
Check Your Progress	55	(1)
Key Terms	56	(1)
Looking Ahead	56	(1)
Ethics in Psychological Research	57	(21)
The Need for Ethical Principles	58	(2)
APA Principles in the Conduct of Research With Humans	60	(7)
Is Deception in Research Necessary?	62	(1)
Informed Consent	63	(1)
Participants at Risk and Participants at Minimal Risk	64	(1)
Vulnerable Populations	65	(1)
The Debriefing Session	66	(1)
The Ethical Use of Animals in Psychological Research	67	(1)
The Institutional Review Board	68	(2)
The Experimenter's Responsibility	70	(1)
The Participants' Responsibility	70	(1)
The Researcher's Ethical Obligations Once the Research Is Completed	71	(7)
Plagiarism	71	(1)
Fabrication of Data	72	(1)
Lying With Statistics	73	(1)
Citing Your References Correctly	74	(2)
Review Summary	76	(1)
Check Your Progress	76	(1)
Key Terms	77	(1)
Looking Ahead	77	(1)
Nonexperimental Methods I: Descriptive Methods, Qualitative Research, and Correlational Studies	78	(19)
Descriptive Methods	79	(9)
Archival and Previously Recorded Sources of Data	79	(2)
Observational Techniques	81	(4)
Choosing Behaviors and Recording Techniques	85	(3)
Qualitative Research	88	(4)
Grounded Theory	89	(2)
Participatory Action Research	91	(1)
Correlational Studies	92	(5)
The Nature of Correlations	92	(2)
Correlational Research	94	(1)
Review Summary	94	(1)
Check Your Progress	95	(1)
Key Terms	96	(1)
Looking Ahead	96	(1)
Nonexperimental Methods II: Ex Post Facto Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sampling, and Basic Research Strategies	97	(18)
Ex Post Facto Studies	98	(1)
Surveys, Questionnaires, Tests, and Inventories	98	(10)
Surveys and Questionnaires	99	(6)
Tests and Inventories	105	(3)
Sampling Considerations and Basic Research Strategies	108	(7)
Sampling	108	(2)
Basic Research Strategies	110	(2)
Review Summary	112	(1)
Check Your Progress	113	(1)
Key Terms	114	(1)
Looking Ahead	114	(1)
The Basics of Experimentation I: Variables and Control	115	(28)
The Nature of Variables	116	(1)
Operationally Defining Variables	116	(1)
Independent Variables	117	(2)
Types of IVs	117	(2)
Extraneous Variables (Confounders)	119	(2)
Dependent Variables	121	(3)
Selecting the DV	121	(1)
Recording or Measuring the DV	122	(1)
Recording More Than One DV	122	(2)
Characteristics of a Good DV	124	(1)
Nuisance Variables	124	(4)
Review Summary	127	(1)
Check Your Progress	128	(1)
Controlling Extraneous Variables	128	(15)
Basic Control Techniques	129	(12)
Review Summary	141	(1)
Check Your Progress	141	(1)
Key Terms	142	(1)
Looking Ahead	142	(1)
The Basics of Experimentation II: Final Considerations, Unanticipated Influences, and Cross-Cultural Issues	143	(23)
Participants	144	(3)
Types of Participants	144	(2)
Number of Participants	146	(1)
Apparatus	147	(3)
IV Presentation	147	(1)
DV Recording	148	(1)
Review Summary	149	(1)
Check Your Progress	149	(1)
The Experimenter as an Extraneous Variable	150	(3)
Experimenter Characteristics	150	(1)
Experimenter Expectancies	151	(1)
Controlling Experimenter Effects	152	(1)
Participant Perceptions as Extraneous Variables	153	(6)
Demand Characteristics and Good Participants	153	(2)
Response Bias	155	(1)
Controlling Participant Effects	155	(2)
Review Summary	157	(1)
Check Your Progress	158	(1)
The Interface Between Research and Culture	159	(7)
Culture, Knowledge, and Truth	160	(1)
The Effect of Culture on Research	161	(1)
Methodology and Analysis Issues	162	(2)
Review Summary	164	(1)
Check Your Progress	164	(1)
Key Terms	165	(1)
Looking Ahead	165	(1)
Internal and External Validity	166	(25)
Internal Validity: Evaluating Your Experiment From the Inside	167	(9)
Threats to Internal Validity	167	(7)
Protecting Internal Validity	174	(1)
Review Summary	175	(1)
Check Your Progress	175	(1)
External Validity: Generalizing Your Experiment to the Outside	176	(15)
Threats to External Validity (Based on Methods)	179	(3)
Threats to External Validity (Based on Our Participants)	182	(4)
The Devil's Advocate: Is External Validity Always Necessary?	186	(3)
Review Summary	189	(1)
Check Your Progress	189	(1)
Key Terms	190	(1)
Looking Ahead	190	(1)
Using Statistics to Answer Questions	191	(35)
Descriptive Statistics	192	(18)
Scales of Measurement	192	(2)
Measures of Central Tendency	194	(2)
Graphing Your Results	196	(5)
Calculating and Computing Statistics	201	(2)
Measures of Variability	203	(5)
Review Summary	208	(1)
Check Your Progress	209	(1)
Correlation	210	(4)
The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient	213	(1)
Inferential Statistics	214	(8)
What Is Significant?	214	(1)
The t Test	215	(3)
One-Tail Versus Two-Tail Tests of Significance	218	(1)
The Logic of Significance Testing	218	(3)
When Statistics Go Astray: Type I and Type II Errors	221	(1)
Effect Size	222	(4)
Review Summary	223	(1)
Check Your Progress	223	(1)
Key Terms	224	(1)
Looking Ahead	225	(1)
Designing, Conducting, Analyzing, and Interpreting Experiments With Two Groups	226	(30)
Experimental Design: The Basic Building Blocks	227	(17)
The Two-Group Design	227	(10)
Review Summary	237	(1)
Check Your Progress	237	(1)
Comparing Two-Group Designs	238	(3)
Variations on the Two-Group Design	241	(2)
Review Summary	243	(1)
Check Your Progress	244	(1)
Statistical Analysis: What Do Your Data Show?	244	(1)
The Relation Between Experimental Design and Statistics	244	(1)
Analyzing Two-Group Designs	244	(1)
Calculating Your Statistics	245	(1)
Interpretation: Making Sense of Your Statistics	245	(7)
Interpreting Computer Statistical Output	246	(6)
The Continuing Research Problem	252	(4)
Review Summary	253	(1)
Check Your Progress	254	(1)
Key Terms	254	(1)
Looking Ahead	255	(1)
Designing, Conducting, Analyzing, and Interpreting Experiments with More Than Two Groups	256	(30)
Experimental Design: Adding to the Basic Building Block	257	(12)
The Multiple-Group Design	257	(7)
Comparing the Multiple-Group and Two-Group Designs	264	(1)
Comparing Multiple-Group Designs	265	(2)
Variations on the Multiple-Group Design	267	(1)
Review Summary	268	(1)
Check Your Progress	268	(1)
Statistical Analysis: What Do Your Data Show?	269	(4)
Analyzing Multiple-Group Designs	269	(1)
Planning Your Experiment	270	(1)
Rationale of ANOVA	270	(3)
Interpretation: Making Sense of Your Statistics	273	(10)
Interpreting Computer Statistical Output	274	(9)
The Continuing Research Problem	283	(3)
Review Summary	284	(1)
Check Your Progress	284	(1)
Key Terms	285	(1)
Looking Ahead	285	(1)
Designing, Conducting, Analyzing, and Interpreting Experiments with Multiple Independent Variables	286	(42)
Experimental Design: Doubling the Basic Building Block	287	(1)
The Factorial Design	288	(22)
Review Summary	300	(1)
Check Your Progress	300	(1)
Comparing the Factorial Design to Two-Group and Multiple-Group Designs	301	(3)
Choosing a Factorial Design	304	(1)
Variations on Factorial Designs	305	(4)
Review Summary	309	(1)
Check Your Progress	310	(1)
Statistical Analysis: What Do Your Data Show?	310	(5)
Naming Factorial Designs	310	(1)
Planning the Statistical Analysis	311	(1)
Rationale of Factorial ANOVA	312	(2)
Understanding Interactions	314	(1)
Interpretation: Making Sense of Your Statistics	315	(9)
Interpreting Computer Statistical Output	315	(9)
A Final Note	324	(1)
The Continuing Research Problem	324	(4)
Review Summary	326	(1)
Check Your Progress	326	(1)
Key Terms	327	(1)
Looking Ahead	327	(1)
Alternative Research Designs	328	(35)
Protecting Internal Validity Revisited	329	(9)
Examining Your Experiment from the Inside	329	(2)
Protecting Internal Validity with Research Designs	331	(5)
Conclusion	336	(1)
Review Summary	337	(1)
Check Your Progress	337	(1)
Single-Case Experimental Designs	338	(13)
History of Single-Case Experimental Designs	339	(1)
Uses of Single-Case Experimental Designs	340	(1)
General Procedures of Single-Case Experimental Designs	341	(1)
Statistics and Single-Case Experimental Designs	342	(1)
Representative Single-Case Experimental Designs	343	(7)
Review Summary	350	(1)
Check Your Progress	350	(1)
Quasi-Experimental Designs	351	(12)
History of Quasi-Experimental Designs	352	(1)
Uses of Quasi-Experimental Designs	352	(1)
Representative Quasi-Experimental Designs	353	(7)
Review Summary	360	(1)
Check Your Progress	361	(1)
Key Terms	362	(1)
Looking Ahead	362	(1)
Writing and Assembling an APA-Format Research Report	363	(58)
What Is APA Format?	364	(1)
Sections of the APA-Format Paper	365	(38)
Title Page	365	(2)
Abstract	367	(2)
Introduction	369	(5)
Method	374	(5)
Results	379	(5)
Discussion	384	(4)
References	388	(5)
Appendix	393	(1)
Author Note	394	(1)
Headings	394	(2)
Review Summary	396	(6)
Check Your Progress	402	(1)
Writing in APA Style	403	(4)
General Guidelines	403	(2)
Grammatical Guidelines	405	(2)
APA Editorial Style	407	(1)
Preparing Your Manuscript	408	(1)
Student Views of Professional Activities	408	(13)
Review Summary	417	(1)
Check Your Progress	418	(1)
Key Terms	419	(1)
Looking Ahead	419	(2)
Appendix A: Statistical Tables	421	(6)
Appendix B: Selected Statistical Formulae	427	(2)
Appendix C: Factorial Design with Three Independent Variables	429	(4)
Appendix D: Check Your Progress Answers	433	(17)
Glossary	450	(10)
References	460	(9)
Index	469