Starting Out in Methods and Statistics for Psychology

Description

Starting Out in Methods and Statistics for Psychology: a Hands-on Guide to Doing Research takes first year psychology students through the entire process of doing research in psychology from exploring designs and methods, to conducting step-by-step, by-hand data analysis, and writing up their findings, in a friendly and accessible way.

• The clearest and most accessible introduction to methods and statistics for first year psychology students
• Fully integrates research design, methods, data analysis, and presentation to provide a fully rounded account of the research process from start to finish
• Explores the logic behind the data analyses in a novel and memorable way, before taking students through the essential statistics using step-by-step hand calculations
• Uses a range of examples drawn from both everyday life and from a series of fascinating psychological studies taken from all core areas of the BPS curriculum
• Provides meaningful progression from doing hand-calculations to using SPSS by presenting associated video screencasts in the accompanying Online Resource Centre
• Offers a comprehensive range of online resources informed by tried-and-tested pedagogical expertise to guide students through the research process, taking them from maths basics through to writing up a lab report
• Also available as an e-book with functionality, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning support

About the Author(s)

Victoria Bourne, Senior Lecturer - Teaching Focussed, Royal Holloway, University of London

Victoria Bourne is Senior Lecturer (Teaching Focussed) at Royal Holloway, University of London. She has taught research methodology and statistical analysis at all levels from first year undergraduate students through to advanced postdoctoral researchers. At Royal Holloway she is the overall coordinator for research methods and statistical training throughout the undergraduate degree. Dr Bourne is the co-author, with Graham Hole, of Face Processing: Psychological, Neuropsychological, and Applied Perspectives, published by OUP in 2010.

Table of Contents

Part One: Introduction
1:An overview of how to do research
2:How to design a psychological study: the basics of methodology
3:How to find, read, write and think about research papers
4:Qualitative methods in psychological research
5:The basics of statistical analysis
Part Two: Experimental Design
6:How to design an experiment
7:How can I tell if scores differ between two groups? Independent t test
8:How can I tell if scores differ between two conditions? Repeated t test
9:How can I tell if scores differ between three or more groups? One-way independent measures ANOVA
Part Three: Correlational Design
10:How to design a correlational study
11:How can I tell if two variables are correlated? Pearson's correlation
12:How can I tell if one variable can predict another? Simple linear regression
Part Four: Non-parametric Statistics
13:When and why might I need to use non-parametric statistics?
14:Do my data fit the expected frequencies? Chi square
15:Are there differences between groups or conditions? Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed rank tests
16:Is there a relationship between two variables? Spearman’s correlation
Part Five: Beyond the Basics
17:Which statistical test should I use?
18:Moving beyond the basics of research and analysis: how do I understand more complicated research designs?

Reviews

A well-written and accessible text, perfectly positioned for a year one student - Julia Robertson, Buckinghamshire New University

It ticks all the boxes - Becci Owens, University of Sunderland

A very useful resource for students to return to again and again - Eimear Lee, Anglia Ruskin University

Both the level and pace are spot-on - this is not an easy thing to achieve - Chris Kent, University of Bristol

This is just the right sort of level for my first year students - in the Goldilocks zone! - Rebecca Semmens-Wheeler, Birmingham City University

This is the only current book to 'go back to basics' and explain complex concepts and intricate calculations in a clear and simple format - Antonina Pereira, University of Chichester

A truly introductory reader-friendly text - Paul Engelhardt, University of East Anglia

The writer seems genuinely excited and interested in the topic - and most importantly shows it through her writing! It's a really enjoyable, educational read and encourages reader interaction with the material throughout. I would definitely recommend this book! - Amara Mohammed, psychology student, Manchester Metropolitan University

Additional Resources

Online resources accompany this textbook and include the following:
For students:
- A diagnostic maths test to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses
- Example lab reports (good and bad)
- Example ethics applications forms
- Full answers to the in-text study questions
- SPSS screencasts
- Links to papers and websites

For lecturers:
- Worksheets with additional datasets
- Fully worked answers to worksheets
- MCQs
- Figures and tables from the book, ready to download
- Animated solutions to the hand calculations

Meet the author

We asked author Victoria Bourne about her approach to teaching research methods and statistics, why she decided to write a textbook about it, and how her book is designed to help you in your teaching.

- What should students get out of their introductory research methods and statistics module? Watch >
- How can teachers prepare students to become independent researchers? Watch >
- How can teachers build students’ confidence in using statistics? Watch >
- How do you get students to engage with research? Watch >
- Why did you decide to write a textbook on methods and statistics?  Watch >
- How does the book incorporate SPSS? Watch >
- How does the book integrate research methods and statistics? Watch >
- What extra support is available for lecturers teaching first year research methods and statistics?  Watch >