Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences


Book Description

A comprehensive introduction to research methods and best practices for designing,conducting, interpreting, and reporting findings This text is designed to develop in students a passion for conducting research and an understanding of the practical value of systematic information- gathering and decision-making. It features step-by-step coverage of the research process including research design, statistical considerations, and guidance on writing up and presenting results. Recognized leaders in the field—authors Bart Weathington, Christopher Cunningham, and David Pittenger—present: Introductions to multiple research designs—including single-participant, multi-group, longitudinal, correlational, and experimental designs—accompanied by examples Bibliographic research and methods for appropriate sampling Identifying, developing, and evaluating reliable and valid approaches to measurement The issues and steps common to all single-factor and multifactor studies, as well as single-subject and nonexperimental methods How to summarize research in writing that conforms to the editorial guidelines of the American Psychological Association A comprehensive review of research methods and the statistical concepts that support them, Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences offers the best techniques for studying behavior and social phenomena.







The Behavioral and Social Sciences


Book Description

This volume explores the scientific frontiers and leading edges of research across the fields of anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, sociology, history, business, education, geography, law, and psychiatry, as well as the newer, more specialized areas of artificial intelligence, child development, cognitive science, communications, demography, linguistics, and management and decision science. It includes recommendations concerning new resources, facilities, and programs that may be needed over the next several years to ensure rapid progress and provide a high level of returns to basic research.




International Encyclopedia of Social & Behavioral Sciences


Book Description

This Encyclopedia is the first attempt in a generation to map the social and behavioral sciences on a grand scale. Not since the publication in 1968 of the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by David L. Sills, has there been such an ambitious project to describe the state of the art in all the fields encompassed within the social and behavioral sciences. Available in both print (26 volumes) and online editions, it comprises 4,000 articles, commissioned by 52 Section Editors, and includes 90,000 bibliographic references as well as comprehensive name and subject indexes.




Using Basic Statistics in the Behavioral and Social Sciences


Book Description

In this fully updated edition of Using Basic Statistics in the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Annabel Ness Evans presents introductory statistics in a practical, conceptual, and humorous way, reducing the anxiety that many students experience in introductory courses. Avoiding complex notation and derivations, the book focuses on helping readers develop an understanding of the underlying logic of statistics, rather than rote memorization. Focus on Research boxes engage students with realistic applications of statistics, and end-of-chapter exercises ensure student comprehension. This exciting new edition includes a greater number of realistic and engaging global examples within the social and behavioral sciences, making it ideal for use within many departments or in interdisciplinary settings.




Behavioral and Social Science


Book Description

In 1933, President Herbert Hoover commissioned the "Ogburn Report," a comprehensive study of social trends in the United States. Fifty years later, a symposium of noted social and behavioral scientists marked the report's anniversary with a book of their own from the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. The 10 chapters presented here relate the developments detailed in the "Ogburn Report" to modern social trends. This book discusses recent major strides in the social and behavioral sciences, including sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, and linguistics.




Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences


Book Description

This first definitive reference resource to take a broad interdisciplinary approach to the nexus between music and the social and behavioral sciences examines how music affects human beings and their interactions in and with the world. The interdisciplinary nature of the work provides a starting place for students to situate the status of music within the social sciences in fields such as anthropology, communications, psychology, linguistics, sociology, sports, political science and economics, as well as biology and the health sciences. Features: Approximately 450 articles, arranged in A-to-Z fashion and richly illustrated with photographs, provide the social and behavioral context for examining the importance of music in society. Entries are authored and signed by experts in the field and conclude with references and further readings, as well as cross references to related entries. A Reader's Guide groups related entries by broad topic areas and themes, making it easy for readers to quickly identify related entries. A Chronology of Music places material into historical context; a Glossary defines key terms from the field; and a Resource Guide provides lists of books, academic journals, websites and cross-references. The multimedia digital edition is enhanced with video and audio clips and features strong search-and-browse capabilities through the electronic Reader’s Guide, detailed index, and cross references. Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, available in both multimedia digital and print formats, is a must-have reference for music and social science library collections.




Statistical Applications for the Behavioral and Social Sciences


Book Description

An updated edition of a classic text on applying statistical analyses to the social sciences, with reviews, new chapters, an expanded set of post-hoc analyses, and information on computing in Excel and SPSS Now in its second edition,Statistical Applications for the Behavioral and Social Sciences has been revised and updated and continues to offer an essential guide to the conceptual foundations of statistical analyses (particularly inferential statistics), placing an emphasis on connecting statistical tools with appropriate research contexts. Designed to be accessible, the text contains an applications-oriented, step-by-step presentation of the statistical theories and formulas most often used by the social sciences. The revised text also includes an entire chapter on the basic concepts in research, presenting an overall context for all the book's statistical theories and formulas. The authors cover descriptive statistics and z scores, the theoretical underpinnings of inferential statistics, z and t tests, power analysis, one/two-way and repeated-measures ANOVA, linear correlation and regression, as well as chi-square and other nonparametric tests. The second edition also includes a new chapter on basic probability theory. This important resource: Contains information regarding the use of statistical software packages; both Excel and SPSS Offers four strategically positioned and accumulating reviews, each containing a set of research-oriented diagnostic questions designed to help students determine which tests are applicable to which research scenarios Incorporates additional statistical information on follow-up analyses such as post-hoc tests and effect sizes Includes a series of sidebar discussions dispersed throughout the text that address, among other topics, the recent and growing controversy regarding the failed reproducibility of published findings in the social sciences Puts renewed emphasis on presentation of data and findings using the APA format Includes supplementary material consisting of a set of "kick-start" quizzes designed to get students quickly back up to speed at the start of an instructional period, and a complete set of ready-to-use PowerPoint slides for in-class use Written for students in areas such as psychology, sociology, criminology, political science, public health, and others, Statistical Applications for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Second Edition continues to provide the information needed to understand the foundations of statistical analyses as relevant to the behavioral and social sciences.




Terrorism


Book Description

The events and aftermath of September 11, 2001, profoundly changed the course of history of the nation. They also brought the phenomenon known as terrorism to the forefront of the nation's consciousness. As it became thus focused, the limits of scientific understanding of terrorism and the capacity to develop policies to deal with it became even more evident. The objective of this report is to bring behavioral and social science perspectives to bear on the nature, determinants, and domestic responses to contemporary terrorism as a way of making theoretical and practical knowledge more adequate to the task. It also identifies areas of research priorities for the behavioral and social sciences.




Categorical Data Analysis for the Behavioral and Social Sciences


Book Description

Featuring a practical approach with numerous examples, the second edition of Categorical Data Analysis for the Behavioral and Social Sciences focuses on helping the reader develop a conceptual understanding of categorical methods, making it a much more accessible text than others on the market. The authors cover common categorical analysis methods and emphasize specific research questions that can be addressed by each analytic procedure, including how to obtain results using SPSS, SAS, and R, so that readers are able to address the research questions they wish to answer. Each chapter begins with a "Look Ahead" section to highlight key content. This is followed by an in-depth focus and explanation of the relationship between the initial research question, the use of software to perform the analyses, and how to interpret the output substantively. Included at the end of each chapter are a range of software examples and questions to test knowledge. New to the second edition: The addition of R syntax for all analyses and an update of SPSS and SAS syntax. The addition of a new chapter on GLMMs. Clarification of concepts and ideas that graduate students found confusing, including revised problems at the end of the chapters. Written for those without an extensive mathematical background, this book is ideal for a graduate course in categorical data analysis taught in departments of psychology, educational psychology, human development and family studies, sociology, public health, and business. Researchers in these disciplines interested in applying these procedures will also appreciate this book’s accessible approach.