Includes bibliographical references (p. 736-761) and index.

Machine generated contents note: pt. 1 Research methods and ethics
1. Psychology, science and research
Why psychology and science?
Science
not a subject but a way of thinking
So what is this scientific method then? Asking why? Generating theories for laws
The hypothetico-deductive method
testing scientific theories
How psychologists actually do scientific research
What are the main features of a psychological investigation? Qualitative data and qualitative approaches
2. Measuring people
variables, samples and the qualitative critique
Variables
Psychological constructs
Operational definitions of psychological constructs
Reliability and validity
Samples
Probability- and non-probability-based sampling methods
Sample size
Introducing the quantitative/qualitative debate
Relative values of quantitative and qualitative studies
3. Experiments and experimental designs in psychology. Contents note continued: The role of experiments in gathering evidence
demonstrating cause and effect
Alternative explanations
IVs, DVs and features of the true experiment
Simple experimental designs
Participant variables and non-equivalent groups
Repeated measures design, Matched-pairs design
Single participant and small n design
4. Validity in psychological research
The interpretation of causes in experiments
Sources of variance in the experiment
Validity in experiments and other research designs
Types of validity (Statistical conclusion validity, Internal validity, Construct validity)
Tackling confounds in psychological research
Expectancy
External validity
Meta-analysis
5. Quasi-experiments and non-experiments
The field and the laboratory
True experiments and field experiments
The quasi-experiment
Non-experimental research. Contents note continued: Control and validity in the laboratory and in the field (advantages and disadvantages of the laboratory)
Studies in the field
6. Observational methods
watching and being with people
Observation in general
Observation as a technique or as an overall design
Structured observation
Controlled observation
Naturalistic observation
Qualitative non-participant observation
Role-play and simulation
The diary method
Participant observation
Case studies
Indirect observation
7. Interview methods
asking people direct questions
Self-report methods
Structured interviews
Effects of interpersonal variables in interviews
Types of interview
Semi-structured or open interviewing
gathering qualitative data
Recording the interview
Surveys
8. Psychological tests and measurement scales
Measurement vs. information gathering
scales, tests, inventories and questionnaires
Open and closed questions. Contents note continued: Attitude scales
Central issues in the use of psychological scales
Scale items
what to avoid in statement construction
Projective tests
Intelligence and personality tests
Reliability, validity and standardisation
9.Comparison studies
cross-sectional, longitudinal and cross-cultural studies
What are comparison studies? Cross-sectional studies
Longitudinal studies
Evaluation of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies
Cross-cultural studies
Ethnocentrism
The emic-etic distinction
10. Qualitative approaches in psychology
Psychology and the positivist paradigm
The problem with quantification in psychological research
Qualitative data gathering
Types of qualitative method
Thematic analysis
Grounded theory
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Discourse analysis
Action research
Participative and collaborative research
Memories as narratives
Reflexivity. Contents note continued: Contemporary qualitative methods
11. Ethical issues in psychological research
Publication and access to data
The conduct of research with human participants
Deception
Debriefing
Stress and discomfort
Right to withdraw
Investigator power
Involuntary participation
Intervention
Research with animals
case for and against
Conclusions
pt. 2 Analysing data and writing reports
12. Analysing qualitative data
Quantitative analysis of qualitative data
content analysis
Qualitative analysis of qualitative data
Doing qualitative research
Considerations for a qualitative project
The data-gathering process
Data analysis
Procedures in major approaches
Quality in qualitative research
what of reliability and validity? The emergence of guidelines
Useful websites
13. Statistics
organising the data
Measuring things
Different levels of measurement
Summarising data. Contents note continued: Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode)
Measures of dispersion (range, interquartile and semiinterquartile range, mean deviation, standard deviation and variance)
Population parameters, sample statistics and sampling error
Using SPSS to calculate statistics
Appendix
statistical notation and symbols
14. Graphical representation of data
Graphs in general
The bar chart
Line charts
The histogram
Exploratory data analysis
Stem and leaf display
Box-plots
Using SPSS to produce your charts
15. Frequencies and distributions
Dealing with larger data sets
Percentiles, deciles and quartiles
The normal distribution
z scores/Standard scores
Standardisation of psychological measurements
Sampling distributions
Confidence intervals
Skewed distributions
Kurtosis in distributions
16. Significance testing
was it a real effect?
Significance decisions. Contents note continued: The null and alternative hypotheses
Probability
Rejecting the null hypothesis
The standard level of significance
5% significance level
Critical values
Significance testing
the basic model
Rejection regions
Frequency distributions and probability distributions
Type I errors
Type II errors
The question of power and effect size
Significance `levels'
Directional and non-directional hypotheses
one- and two-tailed tests
Conducting a significance test
17. Testing for differences between two samples
Tests of difference between two conditions or groups (Parametric tests)
Data assumptions for parametric tests
Non-parametric tests of difference
Wilcoxon's T
Mann-Whitney U
The binomial sign test
SPSS procedures for two condition difference tests
Effect size and power
18. Tests for categorical variables and frequency tables
Tests on two-way frequency tables. Contents note continued: Unrelated data
the chi-square test of association
The 2 x 2 chi-square
More complex chi-square data (r x c designs)
The `goodness of fit' test for a single variable
SPSS procedure for conducting an r x c chi-square test
Multi-way frequency tables and log-linear analysis
Conducting a three-way frequency analysis in SPSS
19. Correlation and regression
Simple correlation
Measurement of correlation
Correlation coefficients
Pearson's product-moment, Spearman's rho
Significance and correlation coefficients
SPSS procedures for correlation
What you can't assume with a correlation
Categorical variables
Common uses of correlation in psychology
Regression and multiple regression
Multiple predictions
Partial and semi-partial correlation
Regression coefficients
Effect size and power
Conducting a regression analysis in SPSS. Contents note continued: 20. Multi-level analysis
differences between more than two conditions (ANOVA)
More complex tests
One-way ANOVA
unrelated designs
The F ratio statistic
A priori and post hoc comparisons
Estimating power in one-way ANOVA
Non-parametric ANOVA equivalent
Kruskal-Wallis
Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA): ANCOVA
Analysis of Co-variance
SPSS procedures for one-way ANOVA
21. Multi-factorial ANOVA designs
Using two or more independent variables
Central features of multi-factorial designs
Effect sizes and power
Three-way ANOVA calculation
SPSS procedure for two-way between groups ANOVA
22. ANOVA for repeated measures designs
Related designs
Between subjects and between conditions variation
Two-way (related) design
ANOVA mixed design
one repeated measure and one unrelated factor
More complex ANOVA designs
Effect size and power. Contents note continued: A non-parametric equivalent
the Friedman test for correlated samples
SPSS procedures for repeated measures ANOVA
23. Choosing a significance test for your data (and internet resources)
Choosing an appropriate test
Tests for two samples
Tests for more than two samples
To calculate or not to calculate? Internet resources
24. Planning your practical and writing up your report
Planning your practical project
overall aim, design, samples, materials, procedure, ethics
Writing your practical report
Sections of a standard report
Quantitative and qualitative report features
Comments on a student practical report
A better version of the report
pt. 3 Endmatter

"Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology, sixth edition, provides comprehensive coverage of both quantitative and qualitative methods and statistics. The new edition has been updated to reflect recent software updates and advances in knowledge. This classic research methods text is an essential purchase for all psychology students studying at degree level and beyond"--