Research Methods and Statistics: A Critical Thinking Approach

RESEARCH METHODS AND STATISTICS: A CRITICAL THINKING APPROACH, 4e, successfully illustrates the integration between statistics and research methods by demonstrating the ways to use statistics in analyzing data collected during research. Jackson's combined text adopts an inviting narrative style that draws you into the material, helping you overcome the initial apprehension you may feel at having to learn both subject areas at once. She incorporates a student-friendly critical-thinking approach and presents examples and exercises to which you can relate. Jackson focuses on the logic of the process and the methodology aspect of research.

Jackson (psychology, Jacksonville U.) wants undergraduates using her text to think like a scientist. She describes the theoretical and practical aspects of critical thinking and the scientific methods and how to use these abstract ideas to get started with ideas and resources. She covers ethics, defining, measuring and manipulating variables, choosing descriptive methods, organizing data, correctly applying correlational and statistical methods, testing hypotheses and inferential statistics, developing a logic of experiment design, using inferential statistics in two-group designs, using complex experimental designs and nonparametric procedures, and applying the APA communication guidelines. She includes exercises with answers and a sample APA-style paper. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Sherri Jackson is professor of Psychology at Jacksonville University, where she has taught since 1988. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in cognitive/experimental psychology from the University of Florida. Her research interests include human reasoning and the teaching of psychology. A talented teacher and writer, Sherri teaches both statistics and research methods, and is the author of several textbooks, including: Research Methods and Statistics:A Critical Thinking Approach , Wadsworth (2006)combined book on research methods and statistics and Statistics Plain and Simple, Wadsworth (2005). She is very active in the Teaching of Psychology associations.