A City of Flames

**The #1 research methods text―loved by instructors and students** Featuring an emphasis on future consumers of psychological research and examples drawn from popular media, __Research Methods in Psychology: Evaluating a World of Information__ develops students’ critical-thinking skills as they evaluate information in their everyday lives. The Fourth Edition of this best-selling text takes learning to a new level for both consumers and producers by offering new content, interactive learning, and online assessment to help them master the concepts. Publisher’s Notice Half-title Page Title Page Copyright Dedication Brief Contents About the Author Preface Acknowledgments Media Resources for Instructors and Students Contents Part I: Introduction to Scientific Reasoning Chapter 1: Psychology Is a Way of Thinking Research Producers, Research Consumers How Scientists Work Chapter Review Chapter 2: Sources of Information: Why Research Is Best and How to Find It The Research Versus Your Experience The Research Versus Your Intuition Trusting Authorities on the Subject Finding and Reading the Research Chapter Review Chapter 3: Three Claims, Four Validities: Interrogation Tools for Consumers of Research Variables Three Claims Interrogating the Three Claims Using the Four Big Validities Review: Four Validities, Four Aspects of Quality Working It Through: To Appear More Intimidating, Just Tilt Your Head Down, Study Suggests Chapter Review Part II: Research Foundations for Any Claim Chapter 4: Ethical Guidelines for Psychology Research Historical Examples Core Ethical Principles Guidelines for Psychologists: The APA Ethical Principles Ethical Decision Making: A Thoughtful Balance Working It Through: Did a Study Conducted on Facebook Violate Ethical Principles? Chapter Review Chapter 5: Identifying Good Measurement Ways to Measure Variables Reliability of Measurement: Are the Scores Consistent? Validity of Measurement: Does It Measure What It's Intended to Measure? Review: Interpreting Construct Validity Evidence Working It Through: How Well Can We Measure the Amount of Gratitude Couples Express to Each Other? Chapter Review Part III: Tools for Evaluating Frequency Claims Chapter 6: Surveys and Observations: Describing What People Do Construct Validity of Surveys and Polls Construct Validity of Behavioral Observations Chapter Review Chapter 7: Sampling: Estimating the Frequency of Behaviors and Beliefs Generalizability: Does the Sample Represent the Population? Interrogating External Validity: What Matters Most? Chapter Review Part IV: Tools for Evaluating Association Claims Chapter 8: Bivariate Correlational Research Introducing Bivariate Correlations Interrogating Association Claims Working It Through: Are Parents Happier Than People with No Children? Chapter Review Replicate the Study: Do people who have moved frequently prefer shopping at chain stores? Chapter 9: Multivariate Correlational Research Reviewing the Three Causal Criteria Establishing Temporal Precedence with Longitudinal Designs Ruling Out Third Variables with Multiple-Regression Analyses Getting at Causality with Pattern and Parsimony Mediation Multivariate Designs and the Four Validities Chapter Review Part V: Tools for Evaluating Causal Claims Chapter 10: Introduction to Simple Experiments Two Examples of Simple Experiments Experimental Variables Why Experiments Support Causal Claims Independent-Groups Designs Within-Groups Designs Interrogating Causal Claims with the Four Validities Chapter Review Replicate the Study: Do we remember words better if we process them deeply? Chapter 11: More on Experiments: Confounding and Obscuring Variables Threats to Internal Validity: Did the Independent Variable Really Cause the Difference? Working It Through: Did Mindfulness Training Really Cause GRE Scores to Improve? Interrogating Null Effects: What If the Independent Variable Does Not Make a Difference? Working It Through: Do People’s Political Views Change When They See Money? Chapter Review Chapter 12: Experiments with More Than One Independent Variable Review: Experiments with One Independent Variable Experiments with Two Independent Variables Can Show Interactions Factorial Variations Identifying Factorial Designs in Your Reading Chapter Review Part VI: Balancing Research Priorities Chapter 13: Quasi-Experiments and Small-N Designs Quasi-Experiments Small-N Designs: Studying Only a Few Individuals Chapter Review Chapter 14: Replication, Transparency, and Real-World Importance Replication Research Transparency and Credibility Must a Study Have External Validity? Chapter Review Statistics Review: Descriptive Statistics Statistics Review: Inferential Statistics Presenting Results: APA-Style Reports and Conference Posters Appendix A: Random Numbers and How to Use Them Appendix B: Statistical Tables Glossary Answers to End-of-Chapter Questions References Credits Names Index Subject Index "Featuring an emphasis on future consumers of psychological research and examples drawn from popular media, Research Methods: Evaluating Psychology in the Real World 4e develops students' critical-thinking skills as they evaluate information in their everyday lives. The Fourth Edition of this dominant text takes learning to a new level for both consumers and producers by offering new content, interactive learning, and online assessment to help them master the concepts. Most chapters will be familiar to veteran instructors, including chapters on measurement, experimentation, and factorial designs. However, unlike some methods books, this one devotes two full chapters to correlational research (one on bivariate and one on multivariate studies), which help students learn how to interpret, apply, and interrogate different types of association claims, one of the common types of claims they will encounter. There are three supplementary chapters on descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and scientific writing (APA-Style reports and posters). These chapters provide a review for students who have already had statistics and provide the tools they need to create research reports and conference posters. The appendices provide statistical tables for students who are conducting their own research"-- Provided by publisher