Research Methods and Statistics

"Ian Walker makes the basic topics in statistics accessible, providing interesting examples and explanations. A great A-level text or as a supplement for those Undergraduate students who feel less confident taking a statistics course for the first time."- Sarah Bayless, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Winchester "I was unsure about studying psychology, but reading Research Methods and Statistics by Ian Walker put all these worries behind me. It is really well written and very readable - all I can say is 'wow, amazing!'" - Jack Herbert, First Year Psychology student, University of Derby

Whether it's designing a study, conducting an experiment, or analyzing the results, research methods are an integral part of Psychology. In this student-friendly introduction, Walker covers the different types of study, quantitative data, statistics and ethics. This book is the perfect tool to help build students' confidence in this vital area.

How do you design a research project? What is the difference in method between qualitative and quantitative research? How should psychologists go about considering the ethics of research methodology? For the ‘students who ask questions’, this concise text provides an informative introduction to the methods of psychological research, offering an overview of the primary stages in research. From learning how to construct the initial aims and criterion of a study to presenting the final resulting data into tables and graphs, this book aims to guide psychologists through the tools that make psychological research and the understanding of its resulting data possible. Written with enthusiasm and lucidity, Walker guides readers through the appropriate methods for undertaking research, explaining the discerning features of the core types of research, the primary measurements of statistics such as the chi-squared, t and Mann-Whitney U tests and brings an apt consideration of what makes a psychological study ethical. Whether desiring to learn about how to empirically record and measure the psychological experience of an individual or the behavioural factors of an entire population, Research Methods and Statistics is the introductory short-text for learning how to undertake successful research.

This title stands as part of the Insights series edited by Nigel Holt and Rob Lewis, containing versatile, quick guides to the cornerstone theories, main topics and theoretical perspectives of their subjects and are useful for pre-undergraduate students looking to find incisive introductions to subjects that they may be considering for undergraduate study or those looking for helpful preparatory reading for undergraduate modules in the prospective subject. Also useful for undergraduate psychology-students who feel that they could benefit from some background reading in this often less-understood area of psychology.