Research Methods in Psychology

Abstract

While Research Methods in Psychology is fairly traditional— making it easy for you to use with your existing courses — it also emphasizes a fundamental idea that is often lost on undergraduates: research methods are not a peripheral concern in our discipline; they are central.

The overarching goal of this textbook is to present the basics of psychological research methods — focusing on the concepts and skills that are most widely shared within the discipline — emphasizing both their centrality to our field and their contribution to our understanding of human behavior. The book will include several features that will help accomplish this overarching goal.

The Core Concepts: Dr. Price based his choices about content and terminology on the most influential original books and articles in the research methodology literature—as determined by an empirical analysis of the reference lists of secondary sources. He also relied on the Undergraduate Psychology Major Learning Goals and Outcomes document commissioned by the APA. Although many of the research methods outcomes in that document are addressed in all research methods textbooks (e.g., “Describe how various research designs address different types of questions and hypotheses”), others are rarely mentioned (e.g., “Recognize the limitations of applying normative conclusions to individuals”).

The Examples: The text includes examples drawn from the entire range of contemporary psychology, including abnormal, clinical, and counseling psychology. Dr. Price also chose examples to show how psychological research has fundamentally changed what we believe to be true about human behavior (for example, in the area of eyewitness memory).

The Style: Dr. Price concentrated on making the style of this book both straightforward and engaging.

If you are looking for a new research methods textbook for your psychology course that has been used by "teachers" and is thorough in its content, you will find your book in Paul Price's Research Methods in Psychology.