Research Methods in Psychology: Investigating Human Behavior

The Second Edition of Paul G. Nestor and Russell K. Schutt’s successful and unique Research Methods in Psychology: Investigating Human Behavior draws from substantive research stories to illustrate how research is presented while systematically unifying the entire research process within a conceptual framework. This accessible text examines engaging research studies and examples, considering research ethics throughout.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1. Uncommon Sense and the Scientific Method Chapter 2. The Practice of Psychological Research Chapter 3. Ethics of Research Chapter 4. Conceptualization and Measurement Chapter 5. Sampling and Surveys Chapter 6. Causation and Research Design: Single-Factor Experiments Chapter 7. Complex Research Designs: Multifactorial Experiments Chapter 8. Quasiexperimental and Nonexperimental Designs Chapter 9. Small-N and Single-Subject Designs Chapter 10. Quantitative Data Analysis Chapter 11. Qualitative Methods Chapter 12. Writing a Research Paper 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 Exhibit Credits Index About the Authors

About the Author :
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/.

Review :
"This is a great text that emphasizes the important concepts within research methods. The resources are excellent; they incorporate up-to-date research and technology and introduce the student to empirical articles, and the information is presented in a way that challenges the student to apply the material." "The greatest strength is the wide breadth of topics in RM discussed. Most Psyc RM books focus heavily on experimental design, giving only cursory attention to quasi- and non-experimental designs, as well as qualitative (and small N samples) procedures." "Overall the Nestor/Schutt text content is well discussed and uses relevant and reasonably current published research to review and discuss the concepts. The use of landmark cases and supplement web 2.0 elements for visualization and further study are extremely beneficial to students. The activities and review questions clearly help students review the chapter content and self-test their mastery. The student study-site resource is user-friendly and includes resources that my students have stated helped them master and review the text content. I have used the text now for three course offerings and find that my students perform quite well and attain the desired objectives. Many students comment the skills they have acquired and polished during the learning journey with the activities and reading have given them more confidence with respect to reading, evaluating and using research." "The text is comprehensive. It covers a wide variety of information without being overwhelming. This is a very good textbook for an introductory course in research methods. I like that its focus is on psychological research specifically."