This work brings together different perspectives on psychological methods and particularly methods involving experimentation. To encourage a reflective use of research methods, the authors illuminate the historical, philosophical, and scientific dimensions of methodology, providing both defenses and criticisms of experimental psychology. The primary audience of the work are students and researchers in psychological and behavioral sciences, who have an interest in methodology

This book proposes a novel view to explain how we as humans -- contrary to current robots -- can have the impression of consciously feeling things: for example the red of a sunset, the smell of a rose, the sound of a symphony, or a pain.
The book starts off by looking at visual perception. Our ability to see turns out to be much more mysterious than one might think. The eye contains many defects which should seriously interfere with vision. Yet we have the impression of seeing the world in glorious panavision and technicolor. Explaining how this can be the case leads to a new idea about what seeing really is. Seeing is not passively receiving information in the brain, but rather a way of interacting with the world. The role of the brain is not to create visual sensation, but to enable the necessary interactions with the world.
This new approach to seeing is extended in the second part of the book to encompass the other senses: hearing, touch, taste and smell. Taking sensory experiences to be modes of interacting with the world explains why these experiences are different in the way they are. It also explains why thoughts or automatic functions in the body, and indeed the vast majority brain functions, are not accompanied by any real feeling.
The "sensorimotor" approach is not simply a philosophical argument: It leads to scientifically verifiable predictions and new research directions. Among these are the phenomena of change blindness, sensory substitution, "looked but failed to see," as well as results on color naming and color perception and the localisation of touch on the body.
The approach is relevant to the question of what animals and babies can feel, and to understanding what will be necessary for robots to become conscious.

The Generic Qualitative Approach to a Dissertation in the Social Sciences: A Step by Step Guide is a practical guide for the graduate students and faculty planning and executing a generic qualitative dissertation in the social sciences. Generic qualitative research is a methodology that seeks to understand human experience by taking a qualitative stance and using qualitative procedures. Based on Sandra Kostere and Kim Kostere's experiences of serving on dissertation committees, this book aims to demystify both the nuances and the procedures of qualitative research, with the aim of empowering students to conduct meaningful dissertation research and present findings that are rigorous, credible, and trustworthy. It examines the fundamental principles and assumptions underlying the generic qualitative method, then covers each stage of the research process including creation of research questions, interviews, and then offers three ways of analyzing the data gathered and presenting the results. With examples of the generic qualitative method in practice to show students how to conduct their research confidently, and chapters designed to walk the researcher through each step of the dissertation process, this book is specifically tailored for the accessible generic method, and will be useful for graduate students and faculty developing dissertations in Psychology, Education, Nursing and the social sciences.

Advancing work to effectively study, understand, and serve the fastest growing U.S. ethnic minority population, this volume explicitly emphasizes the racial and ethnic diversity within this heterogeneous cultural group. The focus is on the complex historical roots of contemporary Latino/as, their diversity in skin-color and physiognomy, racial identity, ethnic identity, gender differences, immigration patterns, and acculturation. The work highlights how the complexities inherent in the diverse Latino/a experience, as specified throughout the topics covered in this volume, become critical elements of culturally responsive and racially conscious mental health treatment approaches. By addressing the complexities, within-group differences, and racially heterogeneity characteristic of U.S. Latino/as, this volume makes a significant contribution to the literature related to mental health treatments and interventions.

This is an international and interdisciplinary volume that provides a new look at the general background of the social sciences from a philosophical perspective and provides directions for methodology. It seeks to overcome the limitations of the traditional treatises of a philosophy of science rooted in the physical sciences, as well as extend the coverage of basic science to intentional and socially normative features of the social sciences. The discussions included in this book are divided into four thematic sections: Social and cognitive roots for reflexivity upon the research process Philosophies of explanation in the social sciences Social normativity in social sciences Social processes in particular sciences Social Philosophy of Science for the Social Sciences will find an interested audience in students of the philosophy of science and social sciences. It is also relevant for researchers and students in the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology, education, and political science.

The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale-Global Rating Method (SCORS-G) is a clinician rated measure that can be used to code various forms of narrative material. It is comprised of eight dimensions which are scored using a seven-point Likert scale, where lower scores are indicative of more pathological aspects of object representations and higher scores are suggestive of more mature and adaptive functioning. The volume is a comprehensive reference on the 1) validity and reliability of the SCORS-G rating system; 2) in depth review of the empirical literature; 3) administration and intricacies of scoring; and 4) the implications and clinical utility of the system across settings and disciplines for clinicians and researchers.

Single-Case Methods in Clinical Psychology: A Practical Guide provides a concise and easily-accessible introduction to single-case research. This is a timely response to the increasing awareness of the need to look beyond randomised controlled trials for evidence to support best practice in applied psychology. The book covers the issues of design, the reliability and validity of measurement, and provides guidance on how to analyse single-case data using both visual and statistical methods. Single-case designs can be used to investigate an individual's response to psychological intervention, as well as to contribute to larger scale research projects. This book illuminates the common principles behind these uses. It describes how standardised measures can be used to evaluate change in an individual and how to develop idiographic measures that are tailored to the needs of an individual. The issue of replication and generalising beyond an individual are examined, and the book also includes a section on the meta-analysis of single-case data. The critical evaluation of single-case research is examined, from both the perspective of developing quality standards to evaluate research and maintaining a critical distance in reviewing one's own work. Single Case Methods in Clinical Psychology will provide invaluable guidance to postgraduate psychologists training to enter the professions of clinical, health and counselling psychology and is likely to become a core text on many courses. It will also appeal to clinicians seeking to answer questions about the effectiveness of therapy in individual cases and who wish to use the method to further the evidence-base for specific psychological interventions.

With a highly pragmatic, yet rigorous and pragmatically driven approach, this edited book explores demonstrates qualitative research with an applied approach. Using not only theory but real world setting, readers are introduced to the function and relevance of qualitative methods in psychological research. Exemplified through the contributions of various experts from across the different sub-disciplines of psychology, this text takes a versatile approach to explaining methods in research and covers a broad range of methods in a variety of settings. This book will appeal to those with an interest in qualitative methods across the spectrum of psychology and beyond. Offering an introduction to applied qualitative research in psychology with a distinctively applied approach, this title is apt for undergraduate psychology students taking modules in research methods, executing research-based projects or those undertaking Masters and taught doctoral level programs in psychology.

This book summarizes the latest research findings in the neurocircuitry of innate behaviors, covering major topics such as innate fear, aggression, feeding, reward, social interaction, parental care, spatial navigation, and sleep-wake regulation. For decades, humans have been fascinated by wild animals' instincts, like the annual two-thousand-mile migration of the monarch butterfly in North American, and the "imprint" behavior of newborn birds. Since these instincts are always displayed in stereotypical patterns in most individuals of a given species, the neural circuits processing such behaviors must be genetically hard-wired in the brain. Recently, with the development of modern techniques, including optogenetics, retrograde and anterograde virus tracing, and in vivo calcium imaging, researchers have been able to determine and dissect the specific neural circuits for many innate behaviors by selectively manipulating well-defined cell types in the brain. This book discusses recent advances in the investigation of the neural-circuit mechanisms underlying innate behaviors.

This book contrasts earlier textbooks on "evidence-based practices." Whereas the latter is a slogan that call for scientific evidence to be used in standardized treatment manuals, ethics-based practices call for individualized treatment that makes the situation meaningful for the patient. The main argument for changing the treatment design from being evidence-based to one based on ethics, is the hypothesis that good health care is based on treatment which makes the situation positive and meaningful for the patient. The awareness for this is primarily provided by ethical considerations.

This book presents a critical examination of the development of user involvement within research, and investigates the issues currently preventing a productive integration of Mad knowledges within research and practice. Drawing on social, linguistic and critical theories, it proposes the conditions needed to address the development of Mad epistemologies. The author's unique approach deliberately highlights her own positionality and draws on decades of experience as a service recipient, survivor, activist and researcher to illustrate the structural and symbolic barriers faced. Employing concepts including epistemic injustice, individualization, normalization and structural violence, it suggests a radically new way of articulating 'what's the matter with us?' In doing so, the book itself goes some way towards enacting the radical challenge to academic and epistemic hierarchies which, it is argued, will be required to further advance mad knowledges and user-led research. Crucially, it demonstrates how this approach can be both methodologically and conceptually rigorous. This novel work holds important insights for students and scholars across the humanities and social sciences; particularly those working in the areas of critical psychology, disability studies, Mad studies, feminist studies, critical race theory, and Queer theory.

This book is a seminal guide to loneliness and social isolation in old age, providing a comprehensive overview of the important correlates of socioeconomic, health and lifestyle factors upon loneliness and social isolation in old age. Bringing together contributions from leading authorities, the book showcases expertise from medicine, psychology, epidemiology, sociology, economics and gerontology. It shows the importance of identifying factors associated with loneliness and social isolation among older adults from a broader perspective, and includes discussion of a range of topics including income poverty, physical activity, family care and frailty. The chapters are evidence-based and offer a mix of empirical studies as well as reviews of international research. The book also discusses policy implications and provides an overview of nationally representative cohort studies around the world available to researchers quantifying loneliness or social isolation. This book is unique in examining loneliness and social isolation from such wide-ranging perspectives and will be essential reading for researchers and postgraduate students in the areas of mental health research, social work, and psychiatry. Health professionals involved with gerontology and geriatrics will also find this book of benefit.

Shared and Collaborative Practice in Qualitative Inquiry: Tiny Revolutions is a short collection of reflections on ethical research practice and scholarly community. It explores the qualitative tradition through the process of writing, photography, dance, and narrative. This is a book about ethical research practices, about simple truths, about the commitments we initially made to this work, and about how we might better support each other along the way. Most importantly, this is a book about finding and making our own communities. Communities do not belong to any one person or small group of people. Rather, communities-genuine, real, and vibrant communities-belong to us all. This is a book about how. This book is suitable for people new to qualitative research and seasoned researchers who would like to explore and develop traditions in qualitative inquiry.

Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a qualitative research approach committed to the examination of how people make sense of their major life experiences. This text provides a detailed guide to conducting IPA research, presenting the theoretical underpinnings of the approach, a comprehensive overview of the stages of an IPA research project, and examples of high-quality IPA studies. Extended worked examples from the authors' own studies in health, psychological distress, and identity illustrate the breadth and depth of IPA research, making this book the definitive guide to IPA for students and researchers alike. New to this edition: - A thoroughly updated chapter dedicated to analysis - An exemplary mini-study - Improved and updated terminology - A chapter discussing innovations in design, data collection, and collaboration 'It is not often I can use "accessible" and "phenomenology" in the same sentence, but reading the new book, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis...certainly provides me the occasion to do so. I can say this because these authors provide an engaging and clear introduction to a relatively new analytical approach' - The Weekly Qualitative Report

Reciprocity Rules explores the rich and complicated relationships that develop between anthropologists and research participants over time. Focusing on compensation and the creation of friendship and "family" relationships, contributors discuss what, when, and how researchers and the people with whom they work give to each other in and beyond fieldwork. Through reflexivity and narrative, the contributors to this edited collection, who are in various stages in their professional careers and whose research spans three continents and eight countries, reflect on the ways in which they have compensated their research participants and given back to host communities, as well as the varied responses to their efforts. The contributors consider both material and non-material forms of reciprocity, stories of successes and failures, and the taken-for-granted notions of compensation, friendship, and "helping." In so doing, they address the interpersonal dynamics of power and agency in the field, examine cultural misunderstandings, and highlight the challenges that anthropologists face as they strive to maintain good relations with their hosts even when separated by time and space. The contributors argue that while learning, following, openly discussing, and writing about the local rules of reciprocity are always challenging, they are essential to responsible research practice and ongoing efforts to decolonize anthropology.

Developed and adapted by the authors of this book, thematic analysis (TA) is one of the most popular qualitative data analytic techniques in psychology and the social and health sciences. Building on the success of Braun & Clarke's 2006 paper first outlining their approach - which has over 100,000 citations on Google Scholar - this book is the definitive guide to TA, covering: - Contextualisation of TA - Developing themes - Writing TA reports - Reflexive TA It addresses the common questions surrounding TA as well as developments in the field, offering a highly accessible and practical discussion of doing TA situated within a clear understanding of the wider terrain of qualitative research. Virginia Braun is a Professor in the School of Psychology at The University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Victoria Clarke is an Associate Professor in Qualitative and Critical Psychology in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol.

In Decision Making and Problem Solving: A Practical Guide for Applied Research, the author utilizes traditional approaches, tools, and techniques adopted to solve current day-to-day, real-life problems. The book offers guidance in identifying and applying accurate methods for designing a strategy as well as implementing these strategies in the real world. The book includes realistic case studies and practical approaches that should help readers understand how the decision making occurs and can be applied to problem solving under deep uncertainty.

Neuropsychology for Occupational Therapists is a bestselling, comprehensive guide to the assessment and rehabilitation of impaired cognitive function and brain damage. Divided into two parts, the first introduces the fundamental role cognition has in occupational performance, before moving on to examine the theoretical frameworks behind cognitive rehabilitation. The second part covers the key components of each cognitive function, including attention, visual perception, movement, memory, and executive functions, and the disorders associated with them. Revised throughout, this invaluable new edition includes: * Updated theory and evidence base of neuropsychology * Frameworks and guidelines for assessment and intervention in practice * Updated content on attention, memory and executive functions * A new chapter on cognitive function in later years, and working with people to maintain cognitive health. Written in a clear and engaging style by an experienced author team of academic occupational therapists, with contributions from expert practising clinicians, it is full of a range of learning features, including case studies, summaries, and reflective activities, as well as for the first time narratives of the lived experience of cognitive impairment. Neuropsychology for Occupational Therapists is essential reading for students, newly qualified practitioners, and all those who work within neuropsychology and cognitive rehabilitation.

Based on a collection of chapters of leading scholars in the field, the purpose of this book is to intervene in current debates on the scientific foundation of psychological theory, methodology and research practice, and to offer an in-depth, situated and contextual understanding of psychological generalization. This book aims to contribute to a theoretical and methodological vocabulary which includes the subjective dimension of human life in psychological inquiry, and roots processes of generalization in persons' common, social, cultural and material practices of everyday living. The volume is directed to students, professors, and researchers in psychology as well as to scholars in other branches of the humanities and social science where psychology and especially subjectivity, everyday practice and the development of psychological knowledge is an issue. The volume will be of particular interest to scholars in the field of cultural psychology, critical psychology, psychology of everyday life as well as psychological methodology and qualitative studies of everyday life including the various critical undergraduate, graduate, master, and PhD programs. The book will also be of special interest for scholars working in social psychology, history of psychology, general psychology, theoretical psychology, environmental psychology and political psychology.

This book is a step-by-step guide for instructors on how to teach a psychology research methods course at the undergraduate or graduate level. It provides various approaches for teaching the course including lecture topics, difficult concepts for students, sample labs, test questions, syllabus guides and policies, as well as a detailed description of the requirements for the final experimental paper. This book is also supplemented with anecdotes from the author's years of experience teaching research methods classes. Chapters in this book include information on how to deliver more effective lectures, issues you may encounter with students, examples of weekly labs, tips for teaching research methods online, and much more. This book is targeted towards the undergraduate or graduate professor who has either not yet taught research methods or who wants to improve his or her course. Using step by step directions, any teacher will be able to follow the guidelines found in this book that will help them succeed.How to Teach a Course in Research Methods for Psychology Students is a valuable resource for anyone teaching a quantitative research methods course at the college or university level.

This step-by-step guide shows you how to use R to get data analysis right. The book explores the entire process of analysis, covering key steps from preparing your data to putting your analysis together and writing up your findings. It helps you get to grips with doing different statistical techniques in R and: Equips you with practical data visualisation tools to create graphs and tables. Shows you how to prepare and present your research for assessment, publication and dissemination. Covers key issues facing today's social scientists, such as making research reproducible. Features include an introduction to each chapter, and end-of-chapter exercises to check your understanding of the material. The online resources for this text include data sets that you can perform your own analysis on, and links to publications that are relevant to programming with R. A good starting point for any postgraduate student conducting a research project, this book will help you develop your statistics and programming knowledge and get quickly up to speed.

"[A] fascinating read... Contrary to what the title might suggest, this is an upbeat exploration of suicide with a positive message." --Jeanine Connor, Therapy Today, December, 2018 This thought-provoking volume offers a distinctly human evolutionary analysis of a distinctly human phenomenon: suicide. Its 'pain and brain' model posits animal adaptations as the motivator for suicidal escape, and specific human cognitive adaptations as supplying the means , while also providing a plausible explanation for why only a relatively small number of humans actually take their own lives. The author hypothesizes two types of anti-suicide responses, active and reactive mechanisms prompted by the brain as suicide deterrents. Proposed as well is the intriguing prospect that mental disorders such as depression and addiction, long associated with suicidality, may serve as survival measures. Among the topics covered: * Suicide as an evolutionary puzzle. * The protection against suicide afforded to animals and young children. * Suicide as a by-product of pain and human cognition. * Why psychodynamic defenses regulate the experiencing of painful events. * Links between suicidality and positive psychology. * The anti-suicide role of spiritual and religious belief. In raising and considering key questions regarding this most controversial act, The Evolution of Suicide will appeal to researchers across a range of behavioral science disciplines. At the same time, the book's implications for clinical intervention and prevention will make it useful among mental health professionals and those involved with mental health policy.

This book explores how discursive psychology (DP) research can be applied to disability and the everyday and institutional constructions of bodymind differences. Bringing together both theoretical and empirical work, it illustrates how DP might be leveraged to make visible nuanced understandings of disability and difference writ large. The authors argue that DP can attend to how such realities are made relevant, dealt with, and negotiated within social practices in the study of disability. They contend that DP can be used to unearth the nuanced and frequently taken for granted ways in which disability is made real in both everyday and institutional talk, and can highlight the very ways in which differences are embodied in social practices - specifically at the level of talk and text. This book demonstrates that rather than simply staying at the level of theory, DP scholars can make visible the actual means by which disabilities and differences more broadly are made real, resisted, contested, and negotiated in everyday social actions. This book aims to expand conceptions of disability and to deepen the - at present, primarily theoretical - critiques of medicalization.

This book provides an in-depth examination of psychosocial marital well-being and mental health in traditional communities in Rwanda. It presents rich qualitative research conducted with men, women and elders, highlighting both the issues impacting on marital conflict and domestic violence, and also how potential solutions might be drawn from traditional practices. In doing, so it provides a unique resource for researchers and policymakers seeking to develop evidence-based and culturally-informed mental health and psychosocial support interventions in low and middle income countries. It will appeal in particular to those working the fields of public health, family psychology, social work, cross-cultural psychology and qualitative methodology.

Do you want to learn to read people's minds? In this student-friendly, practice-focussed textbook on EEG and biosignal analysis, you will learn how to: Implement your experiment in E-Prime or OpenSesame; Run your study in the psychophysiological laboratory; Analyse data in MATLAB by following simple steps. This textbook follows a unique approach by guiding you through a single EEG study, each part introducing the relevant core knowledge and commonly available software. Practical exercises help you master the skills to independently implement every aspect of an experiment, from setting up the lab to analysing the data. Suitable for developing both basic levels of skill for undergraduates as well as advancing towards a stronger command of analysis and understanding at postgraduate level. Michiel Spape is a Lecturer and Researcher in Psychology at the University of Helsinki.