Developing Research Skills: A Laboratory Manual, 4th Edition

Contents

 

Preface

 

Topic 1:            Scientific Observation                                                                                                                                           1

Laboratory Exercise 1: Relationship Between Learning Styles and Grade PointAverage                                                      2     

Laboratory Exercise 2: Recall of Dreams                                                                                                                                    11

Laboratory Exercise 3: Content Analysis of Dreams                                                                                                                12

 

Topic 2:           Problem Identification and Hypothesis Testing                                                                                                17

Laboratory Exercise 1: Searching the Literature                                                                                                                        27

Laboratory Exercise 2: Identifying Research Problems and Hypotheses                                                                               28

Laboratory Exercise 3: Evaluating Psychologically-Oriented Internet Web Site                                                                    29

 

Topic 3:            Operations Definitions                                                                                                                                          31

Laboratory Exercise 1: Defining the Concept of Anxiety                                                                                                           31

Laboratory Exercise 2: Operationally Defining the Concept of Anxiety                                                                                  33

Laboratory Exercise 3: Self-Report Questionnaires Assessing Anxiety                                                                                 35

Laboratory Exercise 4: Practice in Defining Concepts Operationally                                                                                       41

 

Topic 4:            Naturalistic Observation                                                                                                                                        43

Laboratory Exercise 1: Analyzing a Naturalistic Observation                                                                                                   43

Laboratory Exercise 2: Developing your Observational Skills                                                                                                   45

Laboratory Exercise 3: Observing Dyadic Conversation Distances                                                                                         46

Laboratory Exercise 4: Book Carrying Behavior                                                                                                                          49

Laboratory Exercise 5: Observing Driver Behavior                                                                                                                     51

 

Topic 5:            Archival Research55

Laboratory Exercise 1: Violence in Television Programs                                                                                                            55

Laboratory Exercise 2: Graffiti                                                                                                                                                         59

 

Topic 6:            Surveys                                                                                                                                                                      61

Laboratory Exercise 1: Evaluating Surveys                                                                                                                                    61

Laboratory Exercise 2: Internet Survey Research                                                                                                                         63

Laboratory Exercise 3: Survey on Alcohol Use                                                                                                                             65

Laboratory Exercise 4: Survey on ESP Attitudes and Experiences                                                                                             71

 

Topic 7:            Ex Post Facto Studies

Laboratory Exercise 1: Evaluating Ex Post Factor Studies                                                                                                           73

Laboratory Exercise 2: Gender Differences in Spatial Ability                                                                                                      75

 

Topic 8:            Independent and Dependent Variables                                                                                                                 79

Laboratory Exercise 1: Identifying Independent and Dependent Variable                                                                                79

Laboratory Exercise 2: Developing Independent and Dependent Variables                                                                             83

Laboratory Exercise 3: Paired-Associate Learning of Low and High Imagery Word                                                                87

Laboratory Exercise 4: Jury Simulation Research                                                                                                                           93

 

Topic 9:            Control                                                                                                                                                                         97

Laboratory Exercise 1: Identifying Uncontrolled Variables                                                                                                           97

Laboratory Exercise 2: Production of Visual Illusion Reversals — Practice Effects                                                                  101

 

Topic 10:          Control Techniques                                                                                                                                                  109

Laboratory Exercise 1: Identifying Control Techniques                                                                                                                110

Laboratory Exercise 2: Assigning Participants to Treatment Groups                                                                                         111

 

Topic 11:          Design                                                                                                                                                                          115

Laboratory Exercise 1: Designing an Obesity Study                                                                                                                       115

Laboratory Exercise 2: Designing an Interpersonal Attraction Study                                                                                          119

Laboratory Exercise 3: Carrying Out an Interpersonal Attraction Experiment                                                                         124

 

Topic 12:          Quasi-Experimental Designs                                                                                                                                   137

Laboratory Exercise 1: The Effects of Role Change on Attitudes                                                                                                 137

Laboratory Exercise 2: Employee Participating in Incentive Pay Plan                                                                                          138

Laboratory Exercise 3: Intelligence and Achievement — Which is the Causal Agent                                                                 139

Laboratory Exercise 4: Jay Walking Behavior                                                                                                                                    140

 

Topic 13:          Single-Case and Single-Group Designs                                                                                                                  141

Laboratory Exercise 1: Evaluating Single-Case Designs in Published Research                                                                         142

Laboratory Exercise 2: Designing Single-Case Study — Increasing Safety Seat Belt Usage                                                       143

Laboratory Exercise 3: Designing Single-Case Study — Behavior Modification of Nocturnal Enuresis (Bedwetting)            150

Laboratory Exercise 4: Designing Single-Case Study — Behavior Modification of Bizarre Verbalizations                              151

Laboratory Exercise 5: Designing a Single-Group Study — Reducing Littering Behavior                                                          152

 

Topic 14:          Ethics                                                                                                                                                                              153

Laboratory Exercise 1: Ethics of Psychological Research                                                                                                                155

Laboratory Exercise 2: Evaluating and Developing Consent Forms                                                                                               160

Laboratory Exercise 3: Developing a Debriefing Form                                                                                                                     165

 

Topic 15:          Analyzing Published Studies                                                                                                                                       167

Laboratory Exercise 1: Analyzing a Published Research Article                                                                                                      167

 

Appendices:

A.     Surveys for Topic 6: Surveys                                                                                                                                                          171

B.     Test for Topic 7: Ex Post Facto Studies (Mental Rotations Test)                                                                                               213

C.     Materials for Topic 8: Independent and Dependent Variables                                                                                                  227