Focusing on experimental methods, authors Anne Myers and Christine Hansen lead students step by step through the entire research process, from generating testable hypotheses to writing the research report. The major sections of the book parallel the major sections of a research report (Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion), giving students the skills theyll need to design and conduct an experiment, analyze and interpret the research findings, and report those findings. Although the main focus is on experimentation, alternative approaches are discussed as important complements.
PART I: INTRODUCTION. 1. Experimental Psychology and the Scientific Method. 2. Research Ethics. 3. Alternatives to Experimentation: Nonexperimental Designs. 4. Alternatives to Experimentation: Surveys and Interviews. 5. Alternatives to Experimentation: Correlational and Quasi-Experimental Designs. 6. Formulating the Hypothesis. PART II: METHOD. 7. The Basics of Experimentation. 8. Solving Problems: Controlling Extraneous Variables. 9. Basic Between-Subjects Designs. 10. Between-Subjects Factorial Designs. 11. Within-Subjects Designs. 12. Within-Subjects Designs: Small N. PART III: RESULTS: COPING WITH DATA. 13. Why We Need Statistics. 14. Analyzing Results. PART IV: DISCUSSION. 15. Drawing Conclusions: The Search for the Elusive Bottom Line. 16. Writing the Research Report. Appendix A: Computational Formulas. Appendix B: Statistical Tables. Appendix C: A Journal Article in Manuscript Form. Appendix D: Answers to Selected Study Question and All Critical Thinking Questions. Glossary. References. Index.