Quantitative Psychological Research: The Complete Student's Companion expertly guides the reader through all the stages involved in undertaking quantitative psychological research: designing a study, choosing a sample of people, undertaking the study, analysing the data, and reporting the research. Accessibly written and clearly presented, the book is designed for anyone learning to conduct quantitative psychological research. It covers the full research process, from the original idea to reporting the completed study, emphasising the importance of looking beyond statistical significance in evaluating data. The book provides step-by-step guidance on choosing, interpreting and reporting the appropriate analysis, featuring worked examples and extended calculations as appendices for advanced readers. This edition features new chapters on exploratory factor analysis, logistic regression and Bayesian statistics, and has been thoroughly updated throughout to reflect the latest research practices. Care has been taken to avoid tying the book to any specific statistical software, providing readers with a thorough grounding in the basics no matter which package they go on to use. Whether you’re at the beginning of your undergraduate degree or working towards your masters or doctorate, this book will be invaluable for anyone looking to understand how to conduct quantitative psychological research.
"This is a book that should definitely be considered for many introductory psychology courses that need a factual and accessible exposition of psychological research principles and methods." Times Higher Education Supplement ". . . covers a wider spectrum than many introductory texts on methods in psychology and has a stronger emphasis on qualitative methods than others. . . it will be particularly attractive to students seeking a lifeline into methods at first year undergraduate level. Nicky Hayes' reputation will strengthen the demand for it, particularly among undergraduates who have already used her texts at 'A' level." Professor Nigel Lemon, University of Huddersfield ". . . there are other research methods textbooks for 'A' level students currently on the market. . . Nicky Hayes has written a book which renders most of these obsolete. The new 'A' level specifications allow students to venture into areas of research that require different forms of qualitative analysis. These are hardly addressed in competing texts and are given thorough treatment by Nicky Hayes. I admire her ability to offer depth of treatment to complex issues without losing her audience. This is an interactive textbook, and I am pleased to see that every chapter contains worked examples, definitions and activities. . . I can highly recommend this book." Mike Stanley, Gordano School, North Somerset, UK Research methodology is one of the most important and also one of the most difficult aspects of psychology for many students to grasp. This new textbook, written by one of the most experienced and respected writers of psychology textbooks in the UK, provides a comprehensive account of both qualitative and quantitative methods. It does so in the friendly, lucid style which has made Nicky Hayes' other textbooks so popular with students and teachers. Doing Psychological Research has been carefully written and designed to help students grasp complex concepts and to provide them with a sound methodological 'toolkit' for carrying out their own projects. The book is divided into data-gathering and analytical sections, and covers the main methods used in psychology for each of these purposes. Exercises and activities, worked examples of statistical tests, and self-assessment questions all help to deepen understanding and illustrate the relevance of the material. A full bibliography and index and a useful glossary of terms complete the package. This is the accessible but comprehensive introductory text which many students and teachers of research methods in psychology have been looking for. It is likely to become essential reading for introductory courses.
This practical, conceptual introduction to statistical analysis by award-winning teacher Andrew N. Christopher uses published research with inherently interesting social sciences content to help students make clear connections between statistics and real life. Using a friendly, easy-to-understand presentation, Christopher walks students through the hand calculations of key statistical tools and provides step-by-step instructions on how to run the appropriate analyses for each type of statistic in SPSS and how to interpret the output. With the premise that a conceptual grasp of statistical techniques is critical for students to truly understand why they are doing what they are doing, the author avoids overly formulaic jargon and instead focuses on when and how to use statistical techniques appropriately.
Electronic Inspection Copy available for instructors here Providing a complete introduction to qualitative methods in psychology, this textbook is ideal reading for anyone doing a research methods course in psychology that includes qualitative approaches or someone planning a practical project using qualitative methods. Not just another research methods book, Doing Qualitative Research in Psychology is more a ′how to do it′ manual, linked with a specifically designed set of digitised video recordings, transcripts and online resources to make learning about qualitative methods as easy as possible. The primary resources are a set of online, publically available video-recorded interviews produced by the editor and contributors to support student learning. The text offers useful descriptions of how and why research questions are formulated and explains the importance of selecting appropriate methods for research investigations. Using examples from the specially produced data set, it describes four specific qualitative methods, outlining - in its very clear ′how to proceed′ style - how each of these methods can form the basis of a qualitative methods laboratory class, practical or field study. As well as covering key topics such as ethics, literature reviews and interviewing, the book also describes precisely how research reports using qualitative methods are written up, in line with the appropriate conventions within psychology.
`I often... wonder to myself whether the field needs another book, handbook, or encyclopedia on this topic. In this case I think that the answer is truly yes. The handbook is well focused on important issues in the field, and the chapters are written by recognized authorities in their fields. The book should appeal to anyone who wants an understanding of important topics that frequently go uncovered in graduate education in psychology' - David C Howell, Professor Emeritus, University of Vermont Quantitative psychology is arguably one of the oldest disciplines within the field of psychology and nearly all psychologists are exposed to quantitative psychology in some form. While textbooks in statistics, research methods and psychological measurement exist, none offer a unified treatment of quantitative psychology. The SAGE Handbook of Quantitative Methods in Psychology does just that. Each chapter covers a methodological topic with equal attention paid to established theory and the challenges facing methodologists as they address new research questions using that particular methodology. The reader will come away from each chapter with a greater understanding of the methodology being addressed as well as an understanding of the directions for future developments within that methodological area. Drawing on a global scholarship, the Handbook is divided into seven parts: Part One: Design and Inference: addresses issues in the inference of causal relations from experimental and non-experimental research, along with the design of true experiments and quasi-experiments, and the problem of missing data due to various influences such as attrition or non-compliance. Part Two: Measurement Theory: begins with a chapter on classical test theory, followed by the common factor analysis model as a model for psychological measurement. The models for continuous latent variables in item-response theory are covered next, followed by a chapter on discrete latent variable models as represented in latent class analysis. Part Three: Scaling Methods: covers metric and non-metric scaling methods as developed in multidimensional scaling, followed by consideration of the scaling of discrete measures as found in dual scaling and correspondence analysis. Models for preference data such as those found in random utility theory are covered next. Part Four: Data Analysis: includes chapters on regression models, categorical data analysis, multilevel or hierarchical models, resampling methods, robust data analysis, meta-analysis, Bayesian data analysis, and cluster analysis. Part Five: Structural Equation Models: addresses topics in general structural equation modeling, nonlinear structural equation models, mixture models, and multilevel structural equation models. Part Six: Longitudinal Models: covers the analysis of longitudinal data via mixed modeling, time series analysis and event history analysis. Part Seven: Specialized Models: covers specific topics including the analysis of neuro-imaging data and functional data-analysis.
This unique text provides a broad introduction to qualitative analysis together with concrete demonstrations and comparisons of five major approaches. Leading scholars apply their respective analytic lenses to a narrative account and interview featuring "Teresa," a young opera singer who experienced a career-changing illness. The resulting analyses vividly exemplify what each approach looks like in action. The researchers then probe the similarities and differences among their approaches; their distinctive purposes and strengths; the role, style, and subjectivity of the individual researcher; and the scientific and ethical complexities of conducting qualitative research. Also included are the research participant's responses to each analysis of her experience. A narrative account from another research participant, "Gail," can be used by readers to practice the kinds of analysis explored in the book.
This accessible and authoritative introduction is essential for education students and researchers needing to use quantitative methods for the first time. Using datasets from real-life educational research and avoiding the use of mathematical formulae, the author guides students through the essential techniques that they will need to know, explaining each procedure using the latest version of SPSS. The datasets can also be downloaded from the book′s website, enabling students to practice the techniques for themselves. This revised and updated second edition now also includes more advanced methods such as log linear analysis, logistic regression, and canonical correlation. Written specifically for those with no prior experience of quantitative research, this book is ideal for education students and researchers in this field.
Methods in Psychological Research introduces students to the rich world of research in psychology through student-friendly writing, compelling real-world examples, and frequent opportunities for practice. Using a relaxed yet supportive tone that eases student anxiety, the authors present a mixture of conceptual and practical discussions, and spark reader interest in research by covering meaningful topics that resonate with today’s students. In-text features like Conceptual Exercises, FYI sections, and FAQ sections with accompanying visual cues support learning throughout the research experience. The Fourth Edition equips students with the tools they need to understand research concepts, conduct their own experiments, and present their findings.
One of our bestselling handbooks, The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in Psychology, is back for a second edition. Since the first edition qualitative research in psychology has been transformed. Responding to this, existing chapters have been updated, and three new chapters introduced on Thematic Analysis, Interpretation and Netnography. With a focus on methodological progress throughout, the chapters are organised into three sections: Section One: Methods Section Two: Perspectives and Techniques Section Three: Applications In the field of psychology and beyond, this handbook will constitute a valuable resource for both experienced qualitative researchers and novices for many years to come.
This updated edition of Qualitative Research in Psychology brings together a diverse group of scholars to illuminate the value that qualitative methods bring to studying psychological phenomena in depth and in context.
