Evaluating, Doing and Writing Research in

Evaluating, Doing and Writing Research in Psychology is a thoroughly revised and expanded co-edition of the highly regarded Reasoning and Argument in Psychology, originally published by UNSW Press, Australia. It represents a comprehensive textbook for all undergraduates in psychology who need to undertake empirical research, taking them step-by-step through the process. In particular, it offers the a range of study skills enabling the student to understand the complex processes involved with psychological research, not really covered in other texts.

Acknowledgments

viii

Introduction: The problem

1

(1)

Psychology in the academy

2

(2)

Psychology in the public domain

4

(1)

Arguments strong and weak: Some examples

5

(6)

Understanding and Evaluating Statements

11

(21)

Introduction

12

(1)

Understanding statements

12

(10)

Evaluating statements

22

(8)

Summary

30

(2)

Understanding and Evaluating Arguments

32

(36)

Understanding arguments

33

(9)

Evaluating arguments

42

(21)

Evaluation and understanding

63

(2)

Summary

65

(3)

Explanation

68

(33)

Introduction

69

(2)

Causal and law-based explanations

71

(7)

Causal explanation

78

(1)

Evaluating explanations

79

(11)

Induction and explanation

90

(3)

`Understanding' vs `explanation': Discourse as evidence

93

(5)

Summary

98

(3)

Definition and Clarification of Terms

101

(28)

Introduction

102

(3)

Stipulative (nominal) and descriptive definitions

105

(5)

Operational definitions

110

(5)

Definitions and criteria for the use of theoretical terms

115

(2)

Things, properties and relations

117

(6)

Jargon and obscurantism

123

(2)

Summary

125

(4)

Interpreting Psychological Evidence

129

(36)

Introduction

130

(1)

The comparative nature of evidence

131

(9)

Correlation and cause

140

(9)

Evidence from analogies

149

(12)

Summary

161

(4)

Some Common Weaknesses in Psychological Argument

165

(27)

Illegitimate appeals and assertions

166

(5)

Misleading dichotomies

171

(3)

Relative terms

174

(4)

`Missing links'

178

(3)

`Is' and `ought'

181

(7)

Summary

188

(4)

Levels of Explanation

192

(42)

Introduction

193

(3)

Reductionist explanations

196

(10)

Folk psychological explanations

206

(1)

Information processing/representational explanations

207

(2)

Three levels of explanation of complex systems

209

(3)

Componential explanations

212

(6)

Connectionism

218

(3)

Functional explanations

221

(1)

Evolutionary explanations

222

(8)

Summary

230

(4)

Measurement and Numerical Reasoning

234

(20)

Introduction

235

(1)

Numerical data in psychology

236

(4)

Is the measurement of psychological attributes possible?

240

(4)

Reasoning with numerical codings

244

(5)

Further issues in numerical reasoning

249

(2)

Summary

251

(3)

Researching Psychological Projects

254

(12)

Using the library

255

(7)

Studying the relevant literature

262

(4)

Writing Psychological Essays

266

(31)

Introduction

267

(2)

Essay structure

269

(6)

The question

275

(3)

Evidence

278

(1)

The conclusion

278

(1)

Style

279

(7)

Conventions

286

(6)

Summary

292

(5)

Reporting Observational Studies

297

(12)

The Introduction to a report

299

(2)

Method

301

(3)

Results (Including statistical analysis)

304

(2)

Discussion

306

(2)

Summary

308

(1)

References

309

(6)

Name index

315

(2)

Subject index

317

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Evaluating, Doing and Writing Research in Psychology : A Step-by-Step Guide for Students

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials