Principles of Research in Behavioral Science

Intended for beginning graduate or advanced undergraduate students, this book provides a comprehensive review of research methods used in psychology and related disciplines. It covers topics that are often omitted in other texts including correlational and qualitative research and integrative literature reviews. Basic principles are reviewed for those who need a refresher. The focus is on conceptual issues – statistics are kept to a minimum. Featuring examples from all fields of psychology, the book addresses laboratory and field research. Chapters are written to be used independently, so instructors can pick and choose those that fit their course needs. Reorganized to parallel the steps of the research process, tips on writing reports are also provided. Each chapter features an outline, key terms, a summary, and questions and exercises that integrate chapter topics and put theory into practice. A glossary and an annotated list of readings are now included.
Extensively updated throughout, the new edition features a new co-author, Mary Kite, and:•New chapters on qualitative research and content analysis and another on integrative literature reviews including meta-analysis, critical techniques for today’s research environment. •A new chapter on exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis that addresses the use of path analysis and structural equation modeling. •A new chapter on how to write a research report using APA style.•Examples from cross-cultural and multi-cultural research, neuroscience, cognitive, and developmental psychology along with ones from social, industrial, and clinical psychology. •More on Internet research and studies.•Greatly expanded Part 3 on research designs with chapters on true experiments, field research, correlational and single-case designs, content analysis, and survey and qualitative research.•A website with PowerPoint slides for each chapter, a test bank with short answer and multiple choice questions, additional teaching resources, and the tables and figures from the book for Instructor’s and chapter outlines, suggested readings, and links to related web sites for students.
Intended as a text for beginning graduate and/or advanced undergraduate courses in research methods or experimental methods or design taught in psychology, human development, family studies, education, or other social and behavioral sciences, a prerequisite of undergraduate statistics and a beginning research methods course is assumed.