Perspectives In Psychological Experimentation

One response to questions about the future of psychology is to attempt an answer to another question: What have we learned from psychology’s past? Originally published in 1984, reissued here with a new preface, this book presents a collection of original papers by authorities with international reputations in various fields of psychology at the time. Contributors were invited to appraise the past of their own research specialties, with an eye toward the future. The emphasis is upon the more scientific areas of psychological research. The catalyst for this book was an international conference honoring Gustav A. Lienert held in 1981. Psychologists from both Western and Eastern Europe, North and South America, and representing fields as different as psychophysics is from clinical psychology, or animal memory from human decision making, described their research and argued the prospects for the future of experimental psychology. Most of the arguments found their way into this book where readers could confront the different viewpoints at the time and those reading it today can see how accurate their predictions were for the future.

The typical survey course in psychology has time for only limited presentation of the research on which our knowledge is based. As a result, many students come away with a limited understanding of the role of experiments in psychological science. Where do experiments come from and how are they conducted? What are the pitfalls and how can we avoid them? What advantages do they have over intuition, authority, and common sense as guides to knowing and acting? What distinguishes research-based psychology from psychobabble? What have we learned from experimentation in psychology? This book presents, in more depth than textbook treatment permits, the background, conduct, and implications of a selection of classic experiments in psychology. The selection is designed to be diverse, showing that even for research in vastly different areas of study, the logic of research remains the same—as do its traps and pitfalls. This book will broaden and deepen the understanding of experimental methods in psychological research, examining where the research questions come from, how questions can be turned into experiments, and how researchers have faced the problems presented by research in psychology.

Learn how to design, execute, interpret, and report on simple psychology experiments! David W. Martin blends humor, clear instruction, and solid scholarship to make this concise text a perfect introduction to research methods in psychology. DOING PSYCHOLOGY EXPERIMENTS guides you through the experimentation process in a step-by-step manner. Martin emphasizes the decision-making aspects of research, as well as the logic behind research procedures. He also devotes two separate chapters to many of the ethical questions that confront new experimenters giving you a complete introduction to the psychology laboratory.

Even if you have no background in experimentation, this clear, straightforward book can help you design, execute, interpret, and report simple experiments in psychology. David W. Martin's unique blend of informality, humor, and solid scholarship have made this concise book a popular choice for methods courses in psychology. Doing Psychology Experiments guides you through the experimentation process in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step manner. Decision-making aspects of research are emphasized, and the logic behind research procedures is fully explained.

Experiments With People showcases 28 intriguing studies that have significantly advanced our understanding of human thought and social behavior. These studies, mostly laboratory experiments, shed light on the irrationality of everyday thinking, the cruelty and indifference of 'ordinary' people, the operation of the unconscious mind, and the intimate bond between the self and others. This book tells the inside story of how social psychological research gets done and why it matters. Each chapter focuses on the details and implications of a single study, but cites related research and real-life examples. All chapters are self-contained, allowing them to be read in any order. Each chapter is divided into: *Background--provides the rationale for the study; *What They Did--outlines the design and procedure used; *What They Found--summarizes the results obtained; *So What?--articulates the significance of those results; *Afterthoughts--explores the broader issues raised by the study; and *Revelation--encapsulates the 'take-home message' of each chapter. This paperback is ideal as a main or supplementary text for courses in social psychology, introductory psychology, or research design.

This book explores the field of experimental psychology from the standpoint of scientific methodology and methods of experimentation, rather than from specific content areas. There is a step-by-step process of effectively completing statistical analyses for major research designs used in behavioral research, and emphasizes the mutual facilitation of pure and applied research and the wise application of effective research methods to benefit society. Requires no previous background in statistics, develops a broad perspective about where sound psychological research fits within areas of public interest as well as more generally within science. This book gives special attention to ethics in human and animal research. It discusses the use of computers in psychology from historical and contemporary perspectives, and provides thorough guidance in the development of a research project from conception to written form.