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Practical Guide to Behavioral Research Tools and Techniques

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ISBN-10: 0195142098

ISBN-13: 9780195142099

Edition: 5th 2002 (Revised)

Authors: Robert Sommer, Barbara Sommer

List price: $149.99
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Description:

This new edition of Robert Sommer and Barbara Sommer's successful book A Practical Guide to Behavioral Research continues to emphasize a hands-on, multimethod, and interdisciplinary approach to behavioral research in psychology, sociology, and anthropology. It expands the fourth edition's coverage of computer-related research methods and employs an international perspective, presenting general principles and their practical applications. Like previous editions, A Practical Guide to Behavioral Research, 5/e, covers the four major approaches to behavioral research (experimentation, observation, questionnaire, interview) and examines other important methods, including attitude and rating…    
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Book details

List price: $149.99
Edition: 5th
Copyright year: 2002
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
Publication date: 8/16/2001
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 400
Size: 8.90" wide x 5.91" long x 0.98" tall
Weight: 1.408
Language: English

John C. Norcross, PhD, is Professor and former Chair of Psychology at the University of Scranton. John W. Santrock, PhD, is Professor and former Chair of Psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas. Linda F. Campbell, PhD, is Associate Professor and director of the training clinic in the Department of Counseling and Human Development at the University of Georgia. Thomas P. Smith, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist in the Counseling Center at the University of Scranton. Robert Sommer, PhD, is Professor and former Chair of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. Edward L. Zuckerman, PhD, a clinical psychologist, teacher, and author, is Editor of the Clinician's Toolbox series.

Boxes
Preface
Multimethod Approach
What Is Behavioral Research?
Theory and Research
Validity and Reliability
Why Do Behavioral Research?
Specific Methods
Multimethod Approach
General Laws and Local Conditions
Practical Experience
Summary
Ethics in Behavioral Research
Protecting the Welfare of Research Participants
Issues of Scientific Misconduct
Psychologists' Code of Ethics
Anthropologists' and Sociologists' Code of Ethics
Local Procedures
Summary
Search the Technical Literature
Using a College Library
Source Credibility
What to Look for in a Research Article
Finding References
How Far to Search?
Meta-Analysis
Searching the World Wide Web
What to Save from the Search
Getting Your Hands on the Materials
Additional Resources
Summary
Observation
Casual Observation
Systematic Observation
Video Recording
Qualitative Approaches
Equipment
Limitations
Summary
Mapping and Trace Measures
Mapping
Trace Measures
Summary
Experimentation
The Special Nature of the Experiment
Variables
Generating Hypotheses
Experimental Control
Doing an Experiment
Types of Experiments
Equipment
Using the Internet
Limitations
Summary
Simulation
What Is a Simulation?
Environmental Simulations
Games
Role-playing Exercises
General Comments
Limitations
Summary
Interview
Uses and Types of Interviews
How to Interview
Analyzing the Results
Reporting Interview Results
Limitations
Focus Groups
Summary
The Questionnaire
Questionnaire Construction
Pretesting
Reproducing the Questionnaire
Distributing the Forms
Mail Surveys
Scoring
Interpretation
Describing Survey Results
Comparison of Interviews and Self-administered Questionnaires
Internet Surveys
Limitations
Summary
Attitude and Rating Scales
What Is a Scale?
Rating Scales
Levels of Measurement
Attitude Scales
Semantic Differential
Performance Rating Scales
Consumer Rating Scales
Sensory Evaluation
Summary
Content Analysis
Quantification in Content Analysis
Uses
Finding Categories
Sampling
Analyzing Recorded Data
Reliability
Limitations
Summary
Personal Documents and Archival Measures
Personal Documents
Life Histories
Archival Measures
Summary
Case Study
Advantages of a Case Study
Choosing a Topic
Unusual Individuals
Obtaining Cooperation
Cross-verification
Limitations
Summary
Action Research
Trade-offs
Self-survey
Other Techniques
Steps in Action Research
Why Action Research Is Different
Tower or Swamp?
Summary
The Big Fuzzies: Research on Difficult-To-Define Concepts
Positive Psychology
A Word on Qualitative Research
Summary
Standardized Tests and Inventories
What Is a Test?
Test Reliability and Validity
Using Tests and Inventories
Locating Suitable Tests
Obtaining the Tests
Constructing a Test
Projective Tests
Limitations
Summary
Sampling
Types of Samples
How Large a Sample?
Gaining Access
Measuring Nonrespondent Bias
Describing the Method of Sampling
Limitations
Summary
Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive Statistics for Categorical Measures
Descriptive Statistics for Continuous Measures
Figures
Statistical Tabulations and Analyses
Summary
Inferential Statistics
First, Some Background
Statistical Tests for Continuous Data
A Statistical Test for Categorical Data: Chi-square
Correlation
Presenting the Results of Statistical Tests
Effect Size
Limitations of This Chapter
Summary
Writing and Reviewing a Research Report
Article for a Scientific Journal
Technical Reports
Writing a Critique
Summary
After the Report
Feedback to Participants
Further Research
Publishing the Findings
Other Publication Outlets
Application
News Releases
Professional Meetings
Summary
Concluding Notes
Helpful Hints
Critical Values
Critical Values for t Test
Critical Values for Chi-square Test
Critical Values for Pearson Product-moment Correlation Coefficient (r)
Critical Values for Spearman Rank-order Coefficient (r[subscript s])
Abridged Table of Random Numbers
Critical Values of F
Statistical Tests
Calculation of a t Test for Matched Scores
Calculation of a One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
Computation of the Pearson Product-moment Coefficient (r)
Computation of the Spearman Rank-order Coefficient (r[subscript s])
Using Computer Software for Data Analysis
List Comparisons, Contrasts, and Correlations
Data Entry
Data Analysis
Avoid Blind Analysis
Example of a Manuscript Prepared According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Example of Style Used for a Technical Report
Glossary
Name Index
Subject Index