Essentials of Research Methods in Psychology

by Eugene B. Zechmeister, Jeanne S. Zechmeister, John J. Shaughnessy

Essentials of Research Methods in Psychology by Jeannne S. Zechmeister, Eugene B. Zechmeister, and John J. Shaughnessy is designed to teach students the process of research (developing research ideas, forming a hypothesis, choosing a design, selecting the appropriate method, collecting, interpreting and reporting the results). A guide for the research process is introduced in the second chapter and reinforced as each method is introduced. The use of a consistent framework allows students to see the commonality of each method making the subsequent methods easier to learn. Essentials is based on the successful Research Methods in Psychology 5th edition text by the same authors. This text was completely rewritten in a more conversational style including the use of cartoons and insights from researchers describing how they conducted studies to appeal to students with little mathematical background. Case studies are used to show the use of appropriate methods and the ethical considerations inherent in the research process. This 250 page paperback text is ideal for a community college or for a four year university where brief coverage is desired.

Genres: Psychology

368 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2000

About the author

EUGENE B. ZECHMEISTER is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Loyola University of Chicago, a large metropolitan university where he taught both undergraduate and graduate courses since 1970. Professor Zechmeister completed his B.A. degree in 1966 at the University of New Mexico. He later received both the M.S. (1968) and Ph.D. (1970) from Northwestern University. A specialist in the field of human cognition and experimental methodology, Professor Zechmeister has coauthored books on human memory, critical thinking, statistics and research methods. He has been a Fellow both of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 1, 2, and 3) and the Association for Psychological Science. In 1994 he was awarded the Loyola University Sujack Award for Teaching Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences.