Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences

The late Frederick J Gravetter was professor emeritus of psychology at State University of New York, Brockport. While teaching at Brockport, Dr. Gravetter specialized in statistics, experimental design and cognitive psychology. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from M.I.T. and his Ph.D. in psychology from Duke University. In addition to publishing several research articles, Dr. Gravetter co-authored STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES and ESSENTIAL OF STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES. Lori-Ann B Forzano is a professor of psychology at State University of New York, Brockport, where she regularly teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in research methods, statistics, learning, animal behavior and the psychology of eating. Her research examines impulsivity and self-control in adults and children and has been published in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Learning and Motivation and The Psychological Record. Dr. Forzano also co-authored ESSENTIALS OF STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES. She received her PhD in experimental psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. James E. Witnauer is Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Neuroscience Program at the State University of New York Brockport, where he teaches undergraduate courses in experimental psychology and graduate courses in statistics and biopsychology. He earned a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from State University of New York, Binghamton and a BA in Psychology from State University of New York, Buffalo State College. Dr. Witnauer’s research aims to test mathematical models of learning and behavior and has been published in Behavioural Processes, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, and Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. He serves as consulting Editor at Learning & Behavior. Dr. Witnauer has also coauthored Essentials of Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences.

• Preface.1. Introduction, Acquiring Knowledge, and the Scientific Method.2. Research Ideas and Hypotheses.3. Defining and Measuring Variables.4. Ethics in Research.5. Selecting Research Participants.6. Research Strategies and Validity.7. The Experimental Research Strategy.8. Experimental Designs: Between-Subjects Design.9. Experimental Designs: Within-Subjects Design.10. The Nonexperimental and Quasi-Experimental Strategies: Nonequivalent Group, Pre–Post, and Developmental Designs.11. Factorial Designs.12. The Correlational Research Strategy.13. The Descriptive Research Strategy.14. Single-Case Experimental Research Designs.15. Statistical Evaluation of Data.16. Writing an APA-Style Research Report.APPENDICES.A. Random Number Table and Instruction.B. Statistics Demonstrations and Statistical Tables.C. Instructions for Using SPSS.D. Sample APA-Style Research Report Manuscript for Publication.Glossary.References.Name Index.Subject Index.