Discovering Research Methods in Psychology: A Student's Guide

Discovering Research Methods in Psychology: A Student's Guide presents an accessible introduction to the research methodology techniques that underpin the field of psychology

• Offers a unique narrative approach to introducing the complexities of psychological research methods to first year students
• Introduces the reader to the three main types of research methods used in psychology – observation, experimentation and survey methods
• Provides clear summaries of 21st-century published studies that reflect diversity and best illustrate issues in research methodology
• Includes an emphasis on topics of most interest to students, from those with a personal perspective such as romantic relationships, prejudice and career decisions, to clinical topics including eating disorders, heavy drinking and paranoia 
• Features a comprehensive glossary of all research terminology used in the narrative

Discovering Research Methods in Psychology presents an accessible, student-friendly introduction to the principal research methodology techniques that underpin the field of psychology. By utilizing a narrative approach, the text facilitates a clearer understanding of the complexities of research and the vital role it has played in the development of psychology. The majority of the text consists of clear summaries of carefully-chosen contemporary studies that reflect diversity while introducing the reader to the three main types of research methods used in psychology: observation, experimentation, and survey methods. An additional section featuring a comprehensive glossary of research terms that appear in the narrative provides further clarity. The text's final section then offers expansive coverage of several important issues raised in the narrative such as Ethical Guidelines, Probability, Report Writing, and Referencing.

Discovering Research Methods in Psychology: A Student's Guide offers a refreshingly readable alternative that ensures a thorough grounding in the fundamental methodology that is essential to the study of psychology.

Lalage Sanders is Principal Lecturer at the Cardiff School of Health Science, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, U.K. She has authored more than 40 publications relating to lifestyle psychology and higher education research. She is also an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Chartered Health Psychologist, a Chartered Scientist, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Society. She co-edited Ambulatory Anaesthesia and Sedation: Impairment and Recovery, an example of how psychological research methods can be used in applied settings. She has been teaching research methods and statistics to university students since 1991.