Foundations of Behavioral Research / Edition 4

by Fred N. Kerlinger

Overview

This is a book on scientific behavioral research. Above everything else, it aims to convey the exciting quality of research in general, and in the behavioral sciences and education in particular. A large portion of the book is focused on abstract conceptual and technical matters, but behind the discussion, is the conviction that research is a deeply absorbing and vitally interesting business.

The writing of this book has been strongly influenced by the book's major purpose: to help students understand the fundamental nature of the scientific approach to problem solution. Technical and methodological problems have been considered at length. One cannot understand any complex human activity, especially scientific research activity, without some technical and methodological competence. But technical competence is empty without an understanding of the basic intent and nature of scientific research: the controlled and objective study of the relations among phenomena. All else is subordinate to this. Thus the book, as its name indicates, strongly emphasizes the fundamentals or foundations of behavioral research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	2900155078979
Publisher:	Cengage Learning
Publication date:	08/09/1999
Series:	PSY 200 (300) Quantitative Methods in Psychology Series
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	1008
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

Table of Contents

Part I: The Language and Approach of Science. 1. Science and the Scientific Approach. 2. Problems and Hypotheses. 3. Constructs, Variables, and Definitions. Part II: Sets, Relations, And Variance. 4. Sets. 5. Relations. 6. Variance and Covariance. Part III: Probability, Randomness, And Sampling. 7. Probability. 8. Sampling and Randomness. Part IV: Analysis, Interpretation, Statistics, And Inference. 9. Principles of Analysis and Interpretation. 10. The Analysis of Frequencies. 11. Statistics: Purpose, Approach, Method. 12. Testing Hypotheses and the Standard Error. Part V: Analysis Of Variance. 13. Analysis of Variance: Foundations. 14. Factorial Analysis of Variance. 15. Analysis of Variance: Correlated Groups. 16. Nonparametric Analysis of Variance and Related Statistics. Part VI: Designs of Research. 17. Ethical Considerations in Conducting Behavioral Science Research. 18. Research Design: Purpose and Principles. 19. Inadequate Designs and Design Criteria. 20. General Designs of Research. 21. Research Design Applications: Randomized Groups and Correlated Groups. Part VII: Types of Research. 22. Quasi-Experimental and N = 1 Designs of Research. 23. Nonexperimental Research. 24. Laboratory Experiments, Field Experiments, and Field Studies. 25. Survey Research. Part VIII: Measurement. 26. Foundations of Measurement. 27. Reliability. 28. Validity. Part IX: Methods and Observations and Data Collection. 29. Interviews and Interview Schedules. 30. Objective Tests and Scales. 31. Observations of Behavior and Sociometry. Part X: Multivariate Approaches. 32. Multiple Regression Analysis: Foundations. 33. Multiple Regression, Analysis of Variance, and Other Multivariate Methods. 34. Factor Analysis. 35. Analysis of Covariance Structures. Appendixes: A. Guide for Writing Research Reports. B: Statistical Tables.