Methods of Research in Social Psychology

by Elliot Aronson

Here is a detailed guide for students who will design and implement their own independent research. It examines the complete process of experimentation: asking the right question and translating it into a workable design, setting the stage for data collection, designing dependent variable measures, avoiding bias, conducting the post-experimental interview, and writing up the results. Although the approach of the book is primarily practical, it also confronts substantive issues such as ethics, design, validity, and measurement.

Hardcover

Published November 1, 1989

About the author

Elliot Aronson (Born January 1932) is listed among the 100 most eminent psychologist of the 20th Century, best known for his Jigsaw Classroom experiments, cognitive dissonance research, and bestselling Social Psychology textbooks. He is the only person in the 120-year history of the American Psychological Association to have won all three of its major awards: For distinguished writing (1973), for distinguished teaching (1980), and for distinguished research (1999). In 2007 he received the William James Award for Distinguished Research from APS.

Aronson has taught at Harvard University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is the recipient of many honors. He was chosen by his peers as one of the 100 most influential psychologists of the 20th century, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and won the prestigious William James Award from the Association for Psychological Science for his lifetime achievements. He has won distinguished research awards from a variety of professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society of Experimental Social Psychologists, and others. He also won the Gordon Allport Prize for his work on reducing prejudice. In 1982 he was named "Professor of the Year" by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read if you are specifically interested in research methods for experimental social psychology.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE best treatment of experimental research methods from a social psyc perspective. (Kerlinger and Lee is excellent, also).

I have this as a required text for my Masters and Ph.D. Social Psyc course. It's a shame this book is out of print.