Synopsis
Psychologists use a variety of research methods and tools to learn about behavior and mental processes. The goal of this book is to introduce students to the “multimethod approach” to research in psychology, including observational, survey, and experimental methods. Students learn the strengths and weaknesses of each method, as well as ethical dilemmas when using them, so that they can become competent practitioners and thoughtful consumers of psychological research. Our approach is to engage students in the research process by describing contemporary research in psychology. Students learn about recent topics such as online dating and Facebook, cross-cultural observations of helping behavior, PTSD in orphaned chimpanzees, Medicaid and Medicare health outcomes, decision-making during Hurricane Katrina, clinical research and DSM-5, and much more. Each chapter's “stretching exercises,” “stat tips,” review questions, and challenge questions develop students' critical thinking about the psychological research that appears in scientific journals and in popular media. The 10th edition of Research Methods in Psychology provides a clearly written, compelling introduction to research methods in psychology.
About the Authors
Jeanne S. Zechmeister was an Associate Professor of Psychology at Loyola University of Chicago, where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in research methodology since 1990. Professor Zechmeister completed her B.A. at University of Wisconsin-Madison (1983) and her M.S. (1988) and Ph.D. (1990) in Clinical Psychology at Northwestern University. Her research focused on psychological processes associated with forgiveness. Her effectiveness as a teacher is evidenced by her many years of high teacher ratings and by her being identified consistently each year by graduating seniors as one of their best teachers at Loyola. She has co-authored, with J.J. Shaughnessy and E.B. Zechmeister, the Research Methods in Psychology text since its 5th edition (McGraw-Hill, 2000, 2003, 2006) and Essentials of Research Methods in Psychology (McGraw-Hill, 2001). Dr. Zechmeister now writes professionally in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Eugene B. Zechmeister is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Loyola University of Chicago, a large metropolitan university where he taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. For many years at Loyola he was the Undergraduate Program Director in Psychology. Professor Zechmeister completed his B.A. in 1966 at the University of New Mexico. He later received both his M.S. (1968) and Ph.D. (1970) from Northwestern University. Professor Zechmeister has authored books on human memory, critical thinking, and statistics, as well as research methods in psychology. He has been a Fellow of both the American Psychological Association (Divisions 1,2, and 3) and the Association for Psychological Science. In 1994, he was awarded the Loyola University Sujack Award for Teaching Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences. He currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
John J. Shaughnessy is a Professor of Psychology at Hope College, a relatively small, select, undergraduate liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan. After completing the B.S. degree at Loyola University of Chicago in 1969, he received his Ph.D. in 1972 from Northwestern University. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Society whose recent research has focused on practical aspects of memory. He is coauthor, with Benton J. Underwood, of Experimentation in Psychology (Wiley, 1975). He was selected by students in 1992 as the Hope Outstanding Professor Educator. He has served as chairperson of the psychology department and as a mentor in the College's Faculty Development Program for younger faculty.
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