Research Methods in Psychology 3/e

Paul G. Nestor, PhD, is professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and assistant professor in psychology in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. A summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Boston University, he earned his MA and PhD in clinical psychology from The Catholic University of America, and was a postdoctoral fellow in the National Institute of Mental Health Clinical Research Training Program at Harvard Medical School. His peer-reviewed publications cover a variety of areas in behavioral science, including neuropsychology, structural and functional neuroimaging, attention, memory, personality, forensic psychology, and schizophrenia. He has authored or co-authored over one-hundred peer-reviewed articles in some of the most prominent journals. His research has been federally supported by competitive grants from both the National Institute of Mental Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a past recipient of a Veterans Administration Merit Review Award, "Cognitive Neuroscience Studies of Schizophrenia." He is also the past recipient of the University of Massachusetts, Boston Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Scholarship for his research in psychology. His teaching has been recognized by the University of Massachusetts, Boston College of Arts and Sciences' Outstanding Faculty Achievement Award. Nestor also has experience in media presentation for both television and radio, including having his research featured on the Discovery Channel and on WUMB. He is a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts, specializing in clinical psychology, neuropsychology, and forensic psychology. Russell K. Schutt, PhD, is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he received the 2007 Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Service and taught from 1979 to 2022. He is also a Clinical Research Scientist I at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a Lecturer (part-time) in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. He completed his BA, MA, and PhD degrees at the University of Illinois at Chicago and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Sociology of Social Control Training Program at Yale University (where he met Dan). In addition to ten editions of Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research and one of Understanding the Social World, as well as coauthored versions for the fields of social work, criminal justice, psychology, and education, his other books include Homelessness, Housing, and Mental Illness (2011), Social Neuroscience: Brain, Mind, and Society (coedited, 2015), and Organization in a Changing Environment (1986). He has authored and coauthored more than 65 peer reviewed journal articles, as well as book chapters and research reports on homelessness, mental health, organizations, law, and teaching research methods. His currently a Dual Principal Investigator (with Matcheri Keshavan, MD) in randomized comparative effectiveness trial of two socially-oriented interventions to improve community functioning among persons diagnosed with serious mental illness, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). His other recently concluded research includes co-principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-funded study of the social impact of the pandemic in Boston, and co-investigator on a Veterans Health Administration-funded study of peer support. His earlier research has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Veterans Health Administration, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Fetzer Institute, and state agencies. Details are available at https://blogs.umb.edu/russellkschutt/.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors PART I. RESEARCH FUNDAMENTALS Chapter 1. Uncommon Sense and the Scientific Method Biases in Thinking The Scientific Method Psychological Research in the Public Square Conclusion Chapter 2. The Research Process Can Money Buy You Happiness? Research Approach Research Toolbox Evaluating and Critiquing Research Conclusion Chapter 3. Literature Review in Research The Brain on Marijuana Literature Review in Research Framework for Literature Review Advanced Literature Reviews Conclusion Chapter 4. Ethics in Behavioral Research Historical Background Ethical Principles The Institutional Review Board Conclusion Chapter 5. Conceptualization and Measurement What Is Happiness? Theoretical Constructs Levels of Measurement The Special Case of Psychometrics Evaluating Measures The Logic of Measurement Validity Conclusion Chapter 6. Samples and Generalizations Sample Planning Sampling Methods Sampling Distributions Conclusion PART II. RESEARCH DESIGNS Chapter 7. Considering Correlation: Are You a Maximizer or a Satisficer? Are You a Maximizer or a Satisficer? Correlational Research Correlation, Confounds, and Control Variables Decision-Making Strategies in a College Student Sample: Maximizer or Satisficer? Conclusion Chapter 8. In Search of Causality: True Experiments Mental Calisthenics for the Brain? Single-Factor Experiment Theater of Independent Variables Measurement and Control Validity in Experiments Can Causality Be Established? Conclusion Chapter 9. Experimental Design and Hypothesis Testing Does Exercise Make You Smarter? Basic Experimental Designs Two Options in Assigning Participants Null Hypothesis Significance Testing Conclusion Chapter 10. Complex Research Designs Multifactorial Designs Within-Subjects Experiment Between-Subjects Experiment Conclusion Chapter 11. Quasi-Experimental and Nonexperimental Designs The Good and the Bad of Media Multitasking Quasi-Experimental Designs Nonequivalent-Control-Group Designs Before-and-After Designs Quasi-Experiments of Media Multitasking Quasi-Experiments of 9/11 Memories Quasi-Experimental Research of Culture and Cognition Developmental Studies Nonexperimental Research Conclusion Chapter 12. Small-N and Single-Subject Designs Foundations of Small-N Designs Measuring Targets of Intervention Types of Small-N and Single-Subject Designs Analyzing Small-N and Single-Subject Designs Internal Validity Generalizability Conclusion Chapter 13. Survey Research How Happy Are You? Considering Surveys Writing Survey Questions Combining Questions in Indexes and Scales Designing Questionnaires Organizing Surveys Analyzing Surveys Conclusion Chapter 14. Qualitative Methods Fundamentals of Qualitative Research Methods for Collecting Qualitative Data Qualitative Interviewing Participant Observation Systematic Observation Focus Groups Qualitative Data Analysis Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research Conclusion PART III. RESEARCH PRODUCTS Chapter 15. Quantitative Data Analysis Does Needing Help = Getting Help? Statistical Approach Univariate Distributions Descriptive Statistics Inferential Statistics The Ethics of Statistics Conclusion Chapter 16. Essentials of APA Report Writing APA Format Report Organization in APA Format Literature Review Poster Presentation Sample Paper Conclusion Appendix A: Summaries of Frequently Cited Research Articles Appendix B: Questions to Ask About a Research Article Appendix C: How to Read a Research Article Appendix D: Proportions of Area Under Standard Normal Curve Appendix E: Critical Values for t Distribution Appendix F: Critical Values of F Appendix G: Critical Values of Chi-Square Appendix H: Critical Values of the Correlation Coefficient Appendix I: Table of Random Numbers Glossary References Index