Description
Rigorous, yet readable.
The author presents the material with sufficient elaboration, explanation, and examples that not only interest the student, but make it understandable.
Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods incorporates the four basic approaches to behavioral research (descriptive research, correlational research, experimental research, and quasi-experimental research), and shows students how to conceptualize questions, measure variables, design studies, and analyze data. Chapters on research ethics and scientific writing (including the most recent version of APA style) round out the book. Throughout each chapter, boxes on “Developing Your Research Skills” and “Behavioral Research Case Study” provide practical examples and pique student interest.
Teaching & Learning Experience
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Personalize Learning - MySearchLab delivers proven results in helping students succeed, provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals.
- Improve Critical Thinking – New up-to-date Behavioral Research Case Studies help students apply research to practice.
- Engage Students – The text is designed to make research methods understandable, useful, and interesting for students.
- Explore Research – Real research, tidbits about the lives of famous researchers, and intriguing controversies that have arisen in behavioral science are included. A lab manual in MySearchLab helps engage students in the research process.
- Support Instructors – MyTest, PowerPoints, and an instructor’s manual offer additional support for instructors.
Features
RIGOROUS, YET READABLE.
- The author’s primary reason for writing this book was to create a textbook that is rigorous, yet readable. The author presents the material with sufficient elaboration, explanation, and examples that not only interest the student, but make it understandable.
- From the development of a research idea, through measurement issues, to design and analysis, the entire research process is an attempt to understand variability in behavior. Because the concept of variability is woven throughout the research process, the author has used it as a framework to provide coherence to the various topics in the book.
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MySearchLab delivers proven results in helping students succeed, provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals.
PERSONALIZE LEARNING WITH MYSEARCHLAB
- MySearchLab with eText can be packaged with this text.
- MySearchLab provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals.
- eText – Just like the printed text, you can highlight and add notes to the eText or download it to your iPad.
- Assessment – Chapter quizzes and flashcards offer immediate feedback and report directly to the gradebook.
- Writing and Research – A wide range of writing, grammar and research tools and access to a variety of academic journals, census data, Associated Press newsfeeds, and discipline-specific readings help you hone your writing and research skills.
IMPROVE CRITICAL THINKING
- New up-to-date Behavioral Research Case Studies help students apply research to practice. (ex. p. 157)
- Writing resources on MySearchLab - Step by step tutorials present complete overviews of the research and writing process.
- Research and Citing Sources on MySearchLab - Instructors and students receive access to the EBSCO ContentSelect database, census data from Social Explorer, Associated Press news feeds, and the Pearson bookshelf. Pearson SourceCheck helps students and instructors monitor originality and avoid plagiarism.
ENGAGE STUDENTS
- The text is designed to make research methods understandable, useful, and interesting for students.
- Figures, tables, and an expanded glossary are included.(ex. p .12, p. 380)
- Without an elementary grasp of statistical concepts, students may find it difficult to understand the research articles they read. Although this book is unquestionably focused on research methodology and design, the author has sprinkled essential statistical topics throughout the book. With a better understanding of what becomes of the data they collect, students should be able to design more thorough and reliable research studies. (ex. p. 23)
- New up-to-date Behavioral Research Case Studies help students apply research to practice. (ex. p. 157)
- eText on MySearchLab - Just like the printed text, students can highlight and add their own notes to their interactive text online.
- Chapter quizzes and flashcards on MySearchLab offer immediate feedback and a gradebook allows both students, and instructors to monitor student progress throughout the course.
- A full Lab Manual is included on MySearchLab to help engage students in the research process.
EXPLORE RESEARCH
- This edition of the book has even more examples of real research, tidbits about the lives of famous researchers, and intriguing controversies that have arisen in behavioral science.
- New and expanded discussions in this edition include:
- Section on resisting one’s personal biases when conducting research (p. 65)
- Coverage of effect size indicators (ex. p. 42)
- Sections on main effects and interactions (ex. p. 222)
- Coverage of confidence intervals and the use of error bars (ex. p. 128)
- Sections on telephone surveys, experience sampling, and Internet research (ex. p. 86)
- Discussion (and case study) on neuroimaging methods (fMRI) (ex. p. 78)
- Section on cross-sequential cohort designs (ex. p. 284)
- Section on research with vulnerable populations (ex. p. 322)
- A full Lab Manual is included on MySearchLab to help engage students in the research process.
SUPPORT INSTRUCTORS
- MyTest, PowerPoints, and Instructor’s Manual offer additional support for instructors.
- The Test Bank comes with Pearson MyTest a powerful assessment generation program that helps instructors easily create and print quizzes and exams. Questions and tests can be authored online, allowing instructors ultimate flexibility and the ability to efficiently manage assessments anytime, anywhere! Instructors can easily access existing questions and then edit, create, and store using simple drag-and-drop and Word-like controls. Data on each question provides information relevant to difficulty level and page number. In addition, each question maps to the text’s major section and learning objective. For more information go to www.PearsonMyTest.com.
- eText on MySearchLab - Just like the printed text, instructors can highlight and add their own notes to their interactive text online.
- Create a Custom Text - For enrollments as low as 25 students, instructors can customize their own textbook by combining chapters from best-selling Pearson textbooks and/or reading selections in the sequence they want. To begin building your custom text, visit www.pearsoncustomlibrary.com. Instructors may also work with a dedicated Pearson Custom editor to create their ideal text—publishing their own original content or mixing and matching Pearson content. Contact a Pearson Publisher’s Representative to get started.
New to this Edition
Overview of Changes
PERSONALIZE LEARNING WITH MYSEARCHLAB
- MySearchLab with eText can be packaged with this text.
- MySearchLab provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals.
- eText – Just like the printed text, you can highlight and add notes to the eText or download it to your iPad.
- Assessment – Chapter quizzes and flashcards offer immediate feedback and report directly to the gradebook.
- Writing and Research – A wide range of writing, grammar and research tools and access to a variety of academic journals, census data, Associated Press newsfeeds, and discipline-specific readings help you hone your writing and research skills.
IMPROVE CRITICAL THINKING
- New up-to-date Behavioral Research Case Studies help students apply research to practice.(ex. p. 157)
- Writing resources on MySearchLab - Step by step tutorials present complete overviews of the research and writing process.
- Research and Citing Sources on MySearchLab - Instructors and students receive access to the EBSCO ContentSelect database, census data from Social Explorer, Associated Press news feeds, and the Pearson bookshelf. Pearson SourceCheck helps students and instructors monitor originality and avoid plagiarism.
ENGAGE STUDENTS
- New up-to-date Behavioral Research Case Studies help students apply research to practice. (ex. p. 157)
- eText on MySearchLab - Just like the printed text, students can highlight and add their own notes to their interactive text online.
- Chapter quizzes and flashcards on MySearchLab offer immediate feedback and a gradebook allows both students, and instructors to monitor student progress throughout the course.
- A full Lab Manual is included on MySearchLab to help engage students in the research process.
- Expanded glossary
EXPLORE RESEARCH
- A full Lab Manual is included on MySearchLab to help engage students in the research process.
- New chapter on Selecting Research Participants (ex. p. 99)
- Chapter on scientific writing updated to conform to 6th edition of APA style (ex. p. 333)
- New sample manuscript reflects recent changes in APA style (ex. p. 355)
- New section on resisting one’s personal biases when conducting research (p. 65)
- Expanded coverage of effect size indicators (ex. p. 42)
- Revision of sections on main effects and interactions (ex. p. 222)
- New coverage of confidence intervals and the use of error bars (ex. p. 128)
- Expanded sections on telephone surveys, experience sampling, and Internet research (ex. p. 86)
- Enhanced discussion (and case study) on neuroimaging methods (fMRI) (ex. p. 78)
- New section on cross-sequential cohort designs (ex. p. 284)
- New section on research with vulnerable populations (ex. p. 322)
- New section on using PsycInfo (ex. p. 352)
- New up-to-date Behavioral Research Case Studies throughout text (ex. p. 157)
SUPPORT INSTRUCTORS
- MyTest, PowerPoints, and Instructor’s Manual offer additional support for instructors.
- Create a Custom Text - For enrollments of at least 25, create your own textbook by combining chapters from best-selling Pearson textbooks and/or reading selections in the sequence you want. To begin building your custom text, visit www.pearsoncustomlibrary.com. You may also work with a dedicated Pearson Custom editor to create your ideal text—publishing your own original content or mixing and matching Pearson content. Contact your Pearson Publisher’s Representative to get started.
Table of Contents
IN THIS SECTION:
1.) BRIEF
2.) COMPREHENSIVE
BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Chapter 1: Research in the Behavioral Sciences
Chapter 2: Behavioral Variability and Research
Chapter 3: The Measurement of Behavior
Chapter 4: Approaches to Psychological Measurement
Chapter 5: Selecting Research Participants
Chapter 6: Descriptive Research
Chapter 7: Correlational Research
Chapter 8: Advanced Correlational Strategies
Chapter 9: Basic Issues in Experimental Research
Chapter 10: Experimental Design
Chapter 11: Analyzing Experimental Data
Chapter 12: Analyzing Complex Designs
Chapter 13: Quasi-Experimental Designs
Chapter 14: Single-Case Research
Chapter 15: Ethical Issues in Behavioral Research
Chapter 16: Scientific Writing
COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Chapter 1: Research in the Behavioral Sciences
The Beginnings of Behavioral Research
Goals of Behavioral Research
Behavioral Science and Common Sense
The Value of Research to the Student
The Scientific Approach
Science and Pseudoscience
The Scientist’s Two Jobs: Detecting and Explaining Phenomena
Research Hypotheses
Conceptual and Operational Definitions
Proof, Disproof, and Scientific Progress
Strategies of Behavioral Research
Domains of Behavioral Science
Behavioral Research on Human and Nonhuman Animals
A Preview
Summary
Chapter 2: Behavioral Variability and Research
Variability and the Research Process
Variance: An Index of Variability
Systematic and Error Variance
Assessing the Strength of Relationships
Effect Size: Assessing the Strength of Relationships
Meta-Analysis: Systematic Variance across Studies
The Quest for Systematic Variance
Summary
Chapter 3: The Measurement of Behavior
Types of Measures
Scales of Measurement
Assessing the Reliability of a Measure
Assessing the Validity of a Measure
Fairness and Bias in Measurement
Summary
Chapter 4: Approaches to Psychological Measurement
Observational Approaches
Physiological and Neuroscience Approaches
Self-Report Approaches: Questionnaires and Interviews
Archival Data
Content Analysis
Summary
Chapter 5: Selecting Research Participants
A Common Misconception
Probability Samples
Nonprobability Samples
How Many Participants?
Summary
Chapter 6: Descriptive Research
Types of Descriptive Research
Describing and Presenting Data
Frequency Distributions
Measures of Central Tendency
Measures of Variability Tendency
The z-Score
Summary
Chapter 7: Correlational Research
The Correlation Coefficient
A Graphic Representation of Correlations
The Coefficient of Determination
Statistical Significance of r
Factors That Distort Correlation Coefficients
Correlation and Causality
Partial Correlation
Other Indices of Correlation
Summary
Chapter 8: Advanced Correlational Strategies
Predicting Behavior: Regression Strategies
Assessing Directionality: Cross-Lagged and Structural Equations Analysis
Analyzing Nested Data: Multilevel Modeling
Uncovering Underlying Dimensions: Factor Analysis
Summary
Chapter 9: Basic Issues in Experimental Research
Manipulating the Independent Variable
Assigning Participants to Conditions
Experimental Control
Eliminating Confounds
Error Variance
Experimental Control and Generalizability: The Experimenter’s Dilemma
Web-Based Experimental Research
Summary
Chapter 10: Experimental Design
One-Way Designs
Factorial Designs
Main Effects and Interactions
Combining Independent and Participant Variables
Summary
Chapter 11: Analyzing Experimental Data
An Intuitive Approach to Analysis
Hypothesis Testing
Analysis of Two-Group Experiments: The t-Test
Analyses of Matched-Subjects and Within-Subjects Designs
Computer Analyses
Summary
Chapter 12: Analyzing Complex Designs
The Problem: Conducting Multiple Tests Inflates Type I Error
The Rationale behind ANOVA
How ANOVA Works
Follow-Up Tests
Between-Subjects and Within-Subjects ANOVAs
Multivariate Analysis of Variance
Experimental and Nonexperimental Uses of Inferential Statistics
Summary
Chapter 13: Quasi-Experimental Designs
Pretest—Posttest Designs
Time Series Designs
Comparative Time Series Design
Longitudinal Designs
Cross-sequential Cohort Designs
Program Evaluation
Evaluating Quasi-Experimental Designs
Summary
Chapter 14: Single-Case Research
Single-Case Experimental Designs
Case Study Research
Summary
Chapter 15: Ethical Issues in Behavioral Research
Approaches to Ethical Decisions
Basic Ethical Guidelines
The Principle of Informed Consent
Invasion of Privacy
Coercion to Participate
Physical and Mental Stress
Deception
Confidentiality
Debriefing
Common Courtesy
Vulnerable Populations
Ethical Principles in Research with Nonhuman Animals
Scientific Misconduct
Suppression of Scientific Inquiry and Research Findings
A Final Note
Summary
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