Beginning Behavioral Research: A Conceptual Primer

This chapter discusses design and implementation of Behavioral Research and Scientific Method, as well as statistics, methodology, and ethics, and describes the process of cataloging data and making inference.

Abstract

I. GETTING STARTED. 1. The Scientific Outlook. 2. Strategies of Discovery. 3. Ethical Considerations. II. OBSERVATION AND MEASUREMENT. 4. Systematic Observational Methods. 5. Self-Report Methods. 6. Reliability and Validity. III. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION. 7. The Logic of Randomized Experiments. 8. Categories of Quasi-Experimental Research. 9. Survey Designs and Subject Recruitment. IV. DESCRIBING DATA AND HYPOTHESIS TESTING. 10. Summarizing the Data. 11. Examining Relationships. 12. Statistical Significance and Practical Importance. V. STATISTICAL TESTS. 13. The t Test. 14. The F Test. 15. Chi-Square. Appendix A: Reporting the Research in a Paper or Poster. Appendix B: Statistical Tables. Appendix C: Introduction to Meta-Analysis and Contrast Analysis. Glossary. References. Name Index. Subject Index.