Beginning Research in Psychology [antikvár]

Preface Beginning Research in Psychology is for anyone who wishes to begin to carry out investigative work in psychology, and who is looking for a practical introduction to research methods and statistics. It is particularly, though not exclusively, intended to meet the needs of students of psychology at A level or the International Baccalaureate, or those who are pursuing courses at a similar level, such as Access to Higher Education. In some sections (notably in chapter 8) the discussion extends a little beyond the boundaries of the current A level syllabus. I hope it may therefore also be useful to degree students who are looking for a relatively straightforward introduction to some of the main techniques of behavioural research. As a glance at the contents page shows, the book reflects the fact that modern psychology is methodologically more diverse than is sometimes recognized. While it is still true that the experimental method is for many researchers the method of first resort, many also do research by other means, including the 'soft' methods such as interviews and participant observational studies. The appearance of these in the book alongside the traditional experimental approach is intended to reflect the main methodological choices available to psychological researchers, and will, I hope, encourage people who are beginning their studies in this area to try such methods for themselves. In addition to the usual description and discussion of the key issues surrounding each approach, each of the method chapters also contains a section on implementing the method in practice, which is intended to support readers during their early encounters with the task of planning an investigation. In writing the statistical chapters, I have tried to provide a clear exposition of the fundamental ideas while making as few assumptions as possible about what information may already be possessed by a reader. This is perhaps especially evident in the approach taken to descriptive statistics in chapter 6, where it may be felt that I fail to credit the reader with a grasp of even a simple