Research Methods for Psychological Science

Written by experimental research expert, Dr. William J. Ray, Research Methods for Psychological Science introduces students to the principles and practice of conducting research in psychology in an engaging, story-telling format. Ray helps students understand how research increases our understanding of ourselves and our environment and how logic and best practices can increase our understanding of human behavior. Whether their future roles will be researchers, consumers of research, or informed citizens, students will learn the importance of developing testable hypotheses, how to evaluate new information critically, and the impact of research on ourselves and our society. Based on Ray’s influential textbook, Methods Toward a Science of Behavior and Experience, the book offers up-to-date pedagogy, structure, and exercises to reinforce the student’s learning experience.

Table of Contents:
Preface About the Author Introduction Chapter 1 • What Is Science? Learning Objectives Science as a Way of Knowing The Scientific Approach Studying Behavior and Experience Chapter 2 • Introduction to the Methods of Science Learning Objectives Naturalistic Observation The Correlational Approach The Experimental Method Logic and Inference: The Detective Work of Science Scientific Observation: The Raw Data of Science Chapter 3 • Developing the Hypothesis Learning Objectives Making Our Hypotheses Concrete Making Our Hypotheses Logical Creating Testable Research Hypotheses and the Problem of Measurement The Scientist’s Guide to Having an Idea Tools for Library Research Chapter 4 • Ethics Learning Objectives Ethical Considerations of Psychological Experimentation Ingredients of the Initial Scientist–Participant Dialogue The Rights of the Research Participant and the Responsibilities of the Experimenter Deception Studies Animals as Subjects Chapter 5 • Description of Behavior Through Numerical Representation Learning Objectives Measurement Measurement and Statistics Measures of Central Tendency Measures of Variability Pictorial and Transforming Numerical Data Measures of Association Chapter 6 • Inferential Statistics: Making Statistical Decisions Learning Objectives Probability The Normal Distribution Hypothesis Testing Chapter 7 • Testing the Hypothesis: A Conceptual Introduction Learning Objectives The Context of Experimentation: An Example Types of Variation Statistical Hypothesis Testing Threats to Internal Validity Conclusion Chapter 8 • Control: The Keystone of the Experimental Method Learning Objectives Control Achieved Through Participant Assignment and Selection Randomization Control Achieved Through Experimental Design Control as Related to the Logic of Experimentation Chapter 9 • Applying the Logic of Experimentation: Between-Subjects Designs Learning Objectives Between-Subjects Design Terminology Factorial Design Factorial Designs: The Logic of Experimentation and the Interaction Effect Chapter 10 • Extending the Logic of Experimentation: Within-Subjects and Matched-Subjects Approaches Learning Objectives Within-Subjects Designs Mixed Designs Matched-Subjects Designs Chapter 11 • The Ecology of the Experiment: The Scientist and Research Participant in Relation to Their Environments Learning Objectives Ecology Experimenter Factors Subject Factors Cultural and Social Bias Chapter 12 • Quasi-Experimental, Correlational, and Naturalistic Observational Designs Learning Objectives Doing Research in the Real World: Closed and Open Systems Quasi-Experimental Designs Correlational Procedures Naturalistic Observations Chapter 13 • Single-Subject Designs Learning Objectives History of Single-Subject Designs Case Study Designs Experimental Single-Subject Designs Alternative Types of Single-Subject Research Chapter 14 • Questionnaires, Survey Research, and Sampling Learning Objectives Survey Question Construction and Formats Methods of Administering a Survey Sampling Chapter 15 • Sharing the Results Learning Objectives Communication With Other Scientists: The Scientific Article Publishing Your Article Chapter 16 • Beyond Method Learning Objectives Dimensions of Research Limitations to Finding Answers Science as a Complex Human Process Science as a Means of Transcendence Glossary References

About the Author :
William J. Ray is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Pennsylvania State University. He received his PhD from Vanderbilt University and was a Fellow in Medical Psychology at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. He received his undergraduate degree from Eckerd College, where he learned about the value of primary sources and the need to integrate information from a number of perspectives. As part of his clinical training, he has worked in a number of mental hospitals and clinics across the country, where he developed an appreciation of the experiences of those with mental disorders. In his career, he has served as a visiting professor and researcher at the University of Hawaii, Münster University, University of Rome, Tübingen University, and Konstanz University. At Penn State, he was the Director of the SCAN (Specialization in Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience) program and was previously the Director of the Clinical Psychology Program. His research has focused on approaching clinical questions from a neuroscience perspective. He has used psychophysiological and brain imaging techniques such as EEG, MEG, DTI, and fMRI to study emotionality, psychopathology, and individual differences. These studies can be found in his numerous articles, book chapters, and books. His work has been published in such journals as Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of Neuroscience, Psychophysiology, Physiological Reviews, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Cognitive Brain Research, Biological Psychology, NeuroImage, and Clinical Neurophysiology. This work has been funded by both national and international agencies including NIH, NIMH, NASA, NATO, and the DAAD. In addition to research, teaching has been an important part of his career. His textbooks include Abnormal Psychology, Methods Toward a Psychology of Behavior and Experience, Psychophysiological Methods (with Robert Stern & Karen Quigley), and Evolutionary Psychology: Neuroscience Perspectives Concerning Human Behavior and Experience.