Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods

447 Pages·2011·4.913 MB·English

by  Mark R. Leary

Why You Need the New Edition
1. New chapter on Selecting Research Participants
2. Chapter on scientific writing updated to conform to 6th edition of APA style
3. New sample manuscript reflects recent changes in APA style
4. New section on resisting one’s personal biases when conducting research
5. Expanded coverage of effect size indicators
6. Revision of sections on main effects and interactions
7. New coverage of confidence intervals and the use of error bars
8. Expanded sections on telephone surveys,experience sampling,and Internet research
9. Enhanced discussion (and case study) on neuroimaging methods (fMRI)
10. New section on cross-sequential cohort designs
11. New section on research with vulnerable populations
12. New section on using PsycInfo
13. New up-to-date Behavioral Research Case Studies throughout text
14. Expanded glossary
This page intentionally left blank
Sixth Edition
Introduction to Behavioral
Research Methods
Mark R. Leary
Duke University
Boston New York San Francisco Mexico City Montreal
Toronto London Madrid Munich Paris Hong Kong
Singapore Tokyo Cape Town Sydney
Executive Editor:Stephen Frail
Editorial Assistant:Madelyn Schricker
Marketing Manager:Nicole Kunzmann
Production Manager:Meghan DeMaio
Creative Director:Jayne Conte
Cover Designer:Bruce Kenselaar
Cover Image:Kronick/iStockphoto
Editorial Production Service:Hemalatha/Integra Software Services
Printer/Binder:Courier Companies
Cover Printer:Moore Langen
Copyright ©2012 Pearson Education, Inc., All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of
America. This publication is protected by Copyright and permission should be obtained from the
publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s)
to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions
Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 or you may fax your request to
201-236-3290.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Leary, Mark R.
Introduction to behavioral research methods/Mark R. Leary. — 6th ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-205-20398-7
ISBN-10: 0-205-20398-1
1. Psychology—Research—Methodology. I. Title.
BF76.5.L39 2012
150.72'1—dc23
2011017850
ISBN 10: 0-205-20398-1
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-20398-7
CONTENTS
Preface xv
Chapter 1 Research in the Behavioral Sciences 1
The Beginnings of Behavioral Research 2
Goals of Behavioral Research 3
Describing Behavior 4
Predicting Behavior 4
Explaining Behavior 5
Behavioral Science and Common Sense 5
The Value of Research to the Student 5
The Scientific Approach 7
Systematic Empiricism 7
Public Verification 7
Solvable Problems 8
The Scientist’s Two Jobs: Detecting and Explaining
Phenomena 9
Research Hypotheses 11
Conceptual and Operational Definitions 14
Proof, Disproof, and Scientific Progress 16
The Logical Impossibility of Proof 16
The Practical Impossibility of Disproof 17
If Not Proof or Disproof, Then What? 17
The Scientific Filter 18
Strategies of Behavioral Research 21
Descriptive Research 21
Correlational Research 21
Experimental Research 22
Quasi-Experimental Research 22
Domains of Behavioral Science 23
Behavioral Research on Human and Nonhuman Animals 24
A Preview 26
Summary 27 • Key Terms 28 • Questions for
Review 28 • Questions for Discussion 29
Chapter 2 Behavioral Variability and Research 31
Variability and the Research Process 32
Variance: An Index of Variability 34
v
vi Contents
A Conceptual Explanation of Variance 35
A Statistical Explanation of Variance 36
Systematic and Error Variance 38
Systematic Variance 38
Error Variance 39
Distinguishing Systematic from Error Variance 40
Effect Size: Assessing the Strength of Relationships 41
Meta-Analysis: Systematic Variance Across Studies 44
The Quest for Systematic Variance 46
Summary 46 • Key Terms 47 • Questions for
Review 47 • Questions for Discussion 48
Chapter 3 The Measurement of Behavior 49
Types of Measures 50
Scales of Measurement 51
Assessing the Reliability of a Measure 53
Measurement Error 53
Reliability as Systematic Variance 56
Types of Reliability 56
Increasing the Reliability of Measures 60
Assessing the Validity of a Measure 61
Types of Validity 61
Fairness and Bias in Measurement 65
Summary 68 • Key Terms 68 • Questions for
Review 69 • Questions for Discussion 69
Chapter 4 Approaches to Psychological Measurement 71
Observational Approaches 72
Naturalistic Versus Contrived Settings 72
Disguised Versus Nondisguised Observation 73
Behavioral Recording 75
Increasing the Reliability of Observational Methods 77
Physiological and Neuroscience Approaches 78
Measures of Neural Electrical Activity 78
Neuroimaging 78
Measures of Autonomic Nervous System Activity 80
Blood and Saliva Assays 80
Precise Measurement of Overt Reactions 80
Self-Report Approaches: Questionnaires and Interviews 80
Single-Item and Multi-item Measures 81
Contents vii
Writing Items 81
Questionnaires 85
Interviews 88
Advantages of Questionnaires versus Interviews 89
Biases in Self-Report Measurement 90
Archival Data 91
Content Analysis 93
Summary 95 • Key Terms 96 • Questions for
Review 97 • Questions for Discussion 97
Chapter 5 Selecting Research Participants 99
A Common Misconception 99
Probability Samples 100
The Error of Estimation 100
Simple Random Sampling 102
Systematic Sampling 103
Stratified Random Sampling 104
Cluster Sampling 104
The Problem of Nonresponse 106
Misgeneralization 108
Nonprobability Samples 109
Convenience Sampling 109
Quota Sampling 111
Purposive Sampling 111
How Many Participants? 112
Error of Estimation 112
Power 113
Summary 114 • Key Terms 115 • Questions for
Review 115 • Questions for Discussion 116
Chapter 6 Descriptive Research 117
Types of Descriptive Research 118
Survey Research 118
Demographic Research 121
Epidemiological Research 122
Describing and Presenting Data 124
Frequency Distributions 124
Measures of Central Tendency 126
Presenting Means in Tables and Graphs 128
viii Contents
Measures of Variability 131
Standard Deviation and the Normal Curve 132
The z-Score 135
Summary 137 • Key Terms 138
• Questions for Review 138
Chapter 7 Correlational Research 140
The Correlation Coefficient 142
A Graphic Representation of Correlations 142
The Coefficient of Determination 143
Statistical Significance of r 149
Factors That Distort Correlation
Coefficients 151
Restricted Range 151
Outliers 152
Reliability of Measures 153
Correlation and Causality 154
Partial Correlation 156
Other Indices of Correlation 158
Summary 159 • Key Terms 160 • Questions for
Review 160 • Questions for Discussion 161
• Exercises 161
Chapter 8 Advanced Correlational Strategies 163
Predicting Behavior: Regression Strategies 163
Linear Regression 164
Types of Multiple Regression 165
Multiple Correlation 169
Assessing Directionality: Cross-Lagged and
Structural Equations Analysis 170
Cross-Lagged Panel Design 170
Structural Equations Modeling 170
Analyzing Nested Data: Multilevel
Modeling 173
Uncovering Underlying Dimensions: Factor
Analysis 176
An Intuitive Approach 176
Basics of Factor Analysis 176
Uses of Factor Analysis 177
Summary 179 • Key Terms 179 • Questions for
Review 180 • Questions for Discussion 180