Critical Thinking About Research

Julian Meltzoff, PhD, earned his doctorate in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. From 979 to 99 he was professor of psychology and director of research at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. He taught graduate courses in the design and critique of research, conducted doctoral research seminars, and supervised the school amp rsquo s dissertation process. Prior to 979, Dr. Meltzoff served for an extended period as chief psychologist in Veterans Affairs facilities in Pennsylvania and New York. Dr. Meltzoff was engaged in doing research, writing about research, and consulting on research throughout his clinical, administrative, and academic career. He is the coauthor of The Day Treatment Center: Principles, Application, and Evaluation ( 9 ) and Research in Psychotherapy ( 97 ), as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters. He passed away in December 2 5 at age 94.Harris Cooper, PhD, is the Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor of Psychology amp amp Neuroscience at Duke University. He is the author of several books, including Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis: A Step-by-Step Approach (2 7) Ethical Choices in Research: Managing Data, Writing Reports, and Publishing Results in the Social Sciences (2 ) and Reporting Research in Psychology: How to Meet Journal Article Reporting Standards (2 ). He served as editor of the Psychological Bulletin and Archives of Scientific Psychology, and as department chair at Duke University and the University of Missouri amp ndash Columbia.

• ForwardIntroduction. Why Psychologists and Professionals in Related Fields Need to be Critical ThinkersOverview of the ChaptersWho Will Find This Book Useful?Part I. Principles of Critical Thinking. Seeking Trustworthy Knowledge2. Research Questions and Hypotheses3. Research Variables and Strategies4. The Sample5. Confounding Variables and Their Control. Research Designs and Threats to Internal Validity7. Manipulation and Measurement Validity8. Data Analysis, Discussion, and Conclusions9. Inferences, Conclusions, and the Research Report. Research Syntheses and Meta-Analysis. Research EthicsPart II. Critical Thinking Using Practice ArticlesPractice Article . Use of Counselor amp ldquo Street Talk amp rdquo to Stimulate Self-Disclosure of Inner-City YouthsPractice Article 2. Treatment of Flying Phobia: Comparative Efficacy of Two Behavioral MethodsPractice Article 3. The Effect of Divorce on Sons amp rsquo AggressionPractice Article 4. Dyslexia in Fifth-Grade Girls: Personality and Perceptual FactorsPractice Article 5. Time Estimation: Effect of Depression and Pleasantness or Unpleasantness of an ExperiencePractice Article . Bossiness in Firstborn GirlsPractice Article 7. Effect of Context Upon Accuracy of Recall of Affective ExperiencesPractice Article 8. The Effects of Medication and Cognitive Behavior Therapy on InsomniaPractice Article 9. Midlife Crises of Men at Age 5 Practice Article . Effect of Job Stress and Stress Management on Low Back PainPractice Article . Evaluation of Health Maintenance OrganizationsPractice Article 2. Effects of Jury Selection Consultation on Trial OutcomePractice Article 3. Contingency Reinforcement in the Treatment of Talking Aloud to Self: A Single-Case Study Practice Article 4. The Effect of Race of Examiner on IQ Scores of American Indians Practice Article 5. Social Effects of Tax Deadline Practice Article . Comparative Effectiveness of Teacher Management Styles in a Fifth-Grade ClassroomPractice Article 7. Age Differences in Gullibility: A Meta-Analysis EpilogueGlossaryReferencesIndexAbout the Authors

amp ldquo This volume provides a valuable background for the skills students must develop to be good consumers and producers of research. amp rdquo -Choice This volume provides a valuable background for the skills students must develop to be good consumers and producers of research.(Choice) When it comes to research methods, research design, and critical thinking about psychological research, this volume is truly the only game in town. It is encyclopedic and addresses almost every topic that might be included in a research methods course at either the advanced undergraduate or graduate level. The 7 practice articles provide an exceptional pedagogical tool for fostering discussion of how abstract principles unfold in a research context.- Mark Appelbaum, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego This is THE book for every student or smart consumer of scientific research who wants to hone their skills at evaluating research. In exceptionally clear language, the authors teach the basic principles of research methods and show readers how to identify the truth value of research findings. Engaging examples of research articles - and critiques of them - allow readers to apply and test their new knowledge.- Wendy Wood, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles This is an excellent book for teaching college students - or anyone else, for that matter - how to be smart when it comes to interpreting other people's research. It is well thought out and filled with useful examples that illustrate how fuzzy thinking can lead to incorrect conclusions.- Lawrence Kutner, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA