Collecting and analyzing data on unemployment, inflation, and inequality help describe the complex world around us. When published by the government, such data are called official statistics. They are reported by the media, used by politicians to lend weight to their arguments, and by economic commentators to opine about the state of society. Despite such widescale use, explanations about how these measures are constructed are seldom provided for a non-technical reader. This Measuring Society book is a short, accessible guide to six topics: jobs, house prices, inequality, prices for goods and services, poverty, and deprivation. Each relates to concepts we use on a personal level to form an understanding of the society in which we live: We need a job, a place to live, and food to eat. Using data from the United States, we answer three basic questions: why, how, and for whom these statistics have been constructed. We add some context and flavor by discussing the historical background. This book provides the reader with a good grasp of these measures. Chaitra H. Nagaraja is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University in New York. Her research interests include house price indices and inequality measurement. Prior to Fordham, Dr. Nagaraja was a researcher at the U.S. Census Bureau. While there, she worked on projects relating to the American Community Survey.

When a person recovers a memory of an event from their past for which they claim little or no previous awareness, how reliable is that memory?

In this refreshing new approach to the problem, Graham Davies and Tim Dalgleish have assembled leading figures from both sides of the debate to provide a balanced overview of the evidence from theoretical and clinical psychologists.

Recovered Memories: Seeking the Middle Ground, unlike most other writing on the topic, eschews extreme positions. It provides clinicians with findings from the latest research to enhance their understanding of memory and presents pure researchers with a range of experiences encountered in clinical practice for which they presently have few explanations.

Organised around three themes, social, evidential and clinical aspects are covered. Topics include the impact on family and community members, the latest findings on implanted memories and discussion of clinical guidelines for therapeutic practice.

This important new collection should not be missed by anyone with an interest in memory, whether engaged in a clinical, legal, child protection, family welfare or experimental research capacity. It is the most authoritative and comprehensive review of the evidence on both sides available to date.

Practitioner-Based Research is concerned, in particular, with the research which is undertaken by healthcare practitioners and the evidence which they generate as a result of investigating their practice. In so doing it recognizes that, as well as working in academic life, practitioner researchers are often working as practitioners outside the Academy. It argues that the work of practitioner researchers has a significant contribution to make to healthcare research and so needs to be disseminated further in order to create balanced research communities within the healthcare professions. This book will help academic researchers to broaden the limited ontological and epistemological perspectives of their research. It will also encourage healthcare practitioners who have not been trained academically to develop their research skills and to realize that they are actually researching in their practice on a day-to-day basis. Finally, it will provide a degree of transparency about therapeutic processes to help clients and patients to see aspects of professional practice and development which are usually hidden from them.

A Handbook of Process Tracing Methods demonstrates how to better understand decision outcomes by studying decision processes, through the introduction of a number of exciting techniques. Decades of research have identified numerous idiosyncrasies in human decision behavior, but some of the most recent advances in the scientific study of decision making involve the development of sophisticated methods for understanding decision process-known as process tracing. In this volume, leading experts discuss the application of these methods and focus on the best practices for using some of the more popular techniques, discussing how to incorporate them into formal decision models. This edition has been expanded and thoroughly updated throughout, and now includes new chapters on mouse tracking, protocol analysis, neurocognitive methods, the measurement of valuation, as well as an overview of important software packages. The volume not only surveys cutting-edge research to illustrate the great variety in process tracing techniques, but also serves as a tutorial for how the novice researcher might implement these methods. A Handbook of Process Tracing Methods will be an essential read for all students and researchers of decision making.

MATLAB Blues is an accessible, comprehensive introduction to the MATLAB computer programming language-a powerful and increasingly popular tool for students and researchers. Rosenbaum identifies many of the common mistakes and pitfalls associated with using MATLAB, and shows users how they can learn from these mistakes to be better, happier programmers. Each chapter systematically addresses one of the basic principles of the programming language, like matrices, calculations, contingencies, plotting, input-output, and graphics, and then identifies areas that are problematic, as well as potential errors that can occur. This not only provides the reader with the fundamental "scales and chords" that a MATLAB programmer needs to know, but also with a series of examples and explanations of how to avoid and remedy common mistakes. Accompanied by an array of sample code that can be used and manipulated in conjunction with the textbook, this book is a practical, insightful introduction to MATLAB which provides motivation and encouragement to those with little or no background in programming as well as to those with more advanced concerns. It is an invaluable resource for researchers and students undertaking courses in research methods, statistics, and programming.

Without question, statistics is one of the most challenging courses for students in the social and behavioral sciences. Enrolling in their first statistics course, students are often apprehensive or extremely anxious toward the subject matter. And while IBM SPSS is one of the more easy-to-use statistical software programs available, for anxious students who realize they not only have to learn statistics but also new software, the task can seem insurmountable. Keenly aware of students' anxiety with statistics (and the fact that this anxiety can affect performance), Ronald D. Yockey has written SPSS Demystified: A Simple Guide and Reference, now in its fourth edition. Through a comprehensive, step-by-step approach, this text is consistently and specifically designed to both alleviate anxiety toward the subject matter and build a successful experience analyzing data in SPSS. Topics covered in the text are appropriate for most introductory and intermediate statistics and research methods courses. Key features of the text: Step-by-step instruction and screenshots Designed to be hands-on with the user performing the analyses alongside on their computer as they read through each chapter Call-out boxes provided, highlighting important information as appropriate SPSS output explained, with written results provided using the popular, widely recognized APA format End-of-chapter exercises included, allowing for additional practice SPSS datasets available on the publisher's website New to the Fourth Edition: Fully updated to SPSS 28 Updated screenshots in full color to reflect changes in SPSS software system (version 28) Exercises updated with up-to-date examples Exact p-values provided (consist with APA recommendations)

'This book represents an excellent, practical and supportive guide for those who should be engaged in mental health. It will be an invaluable tool as we work towards promoting, protecting and improving mental health in poor countries, and the incorporation of mental health issues into broader health sector and poverty reduction processes.' - Julian Lob Levyt

'This book is a major achievement, and fulfils an important need in many countries of the world.' - David Goldberg

Horrified by the Holocaust, social psychologist Stanley Milgram wondered if he could recreate the Holocaust in the laboratory setting. Unabated for more than half a century, his (in)famous results have continued to intrigue scholars. Based on unpublished archival data from Milgram's personal collection, volume one of this two-volume set introduces readers to a behind the scenes account showing how during Milgram's unpublished pilot studies he step-by-step invented his official experimental procedure-how he gradually learnt to transform most ordinary people into willing inflictors of harm. The open access volume two then illustrates how certain innovators within the Nazi regime used the very same Milgram-like learning techniques that with increasing effectiveness gradually enabled them to also transform most ordinary people into increasingly capable executioners of other men, women, and children. Volume two effectively attempts to capture how step-by-step these Nazi innovators attempted to transform the Fuhrer's wish of a Jewish-free Europe into a frightening reality. By the books' end the reader will gain an insight into how the seemingly undoable can become increasingly doable.

Qualitative Market Research follows through a complete research project from the perspective of both user and practitioner. In this respect, it can be used as both a continuous teaching text and training manual, or individual sections may be consulted to enhance knowledge of `best practices' and improve productivity in any specific research application. Section one begins with an overview of the history and philosophy behind the practice of qualitative research, using qualitative or quantitative approaches, organizing qualitative research (particularly those in `practice' such as research consultants), qualitative research applications (including product development, branding and advertising) and the varieties of qualitative research methods. Section two looks at the management of qualitative research and discusses project management, planning and budgeting issues. Section three looks at group moderation and interviewing techniques, and section four addresses the whole area of collecting and analyzing qualitative data, including discussion of computer-assisted software methods, as well as research reporting. This book meets the needs of several audiences by creating some common ground in the applied practice of qualitative research. It should consequently be invaluable reading to a wide readership, from social research methods students (particularly those in sociology, business, psychology, education, marketing and market research) to worldwide practitioners of qualitative research, both clients and consultants.

". . . a comprehensive survey of the topic . . . a complete resource and a fundamental yet creative cookbook . . . Mariampolski offers detailed suggestions on how to effectively set up each particular type of project with step-by-step guidelines on how to proceed at each stage along the way. . . . It will be very interesting to those who wish to work in marketing, advertising, or research."

--Journal of Advertising Research

Contents:
Introduction. Chapter 1. Reinventing the Sociology of Tourism Yiorgos Apostolopoulos Section I - Towards a Sociological Understanding of Contemporary Tourism Chapter 2. Representations of International Tourism in the Social Sciences: Sun, Sex, Sights, Savings, and Servility Malcolm Crick Chapter 3. The Sociology of Tourism: Approaches, Issues, and Findings Erik Cohen Section II - The Tourism System and the Individual Chapter 4. Motivation and Anticipation in Post-Industrial Tourism Giuli Liebman Parrinello Chapter 5. A Phenomenology of Tourist Experiences Erik Cohen Section III - Structures of Social Inequality in the Tourism System Chapter 6. Tourism, Culture, and Social Inequality John Urry Chapter 7. Gender and Class Relations in Tourism Employment Michael Ireland Section IV - Tourism, Underdevelopment, and Dependency Chapter 8. Tourism, Dependency, and Development: A Mode of Analysis Stephen Britton Chapter 9. Close Encounters of the Third World Cecilia A. Karch and Graham H.S. Dann Section V - Tourism and Social Institutions Chapter 10. The Changing Economics of the Tourist Industry John Urry Chapter 11. Tourism and the Family in a Rural Cretan Community Maria Kousis Chapter 12. The Philippines: The Politicization of Tourism Linda K. Richter Section VI - Tourism and Social Change Chapter 13. Gender and Economic Interests in Tourism Prostitution: The Nature, Development, and Implications of Sex Tourism in South-East Asia C. Michael Hall Chapter 14. Interpretations of Tourism as Commodity G. Llewellyn Watson and Joseph P. Kopachevsky Section VII - Towards a 'New' Sociology of Tourism Chapter 15. Sociology and Tourism Graham Dann and Erik Cohen Chapter 16. Mega-Events and Micro-Modernization: On the Sociology of the New Urban Tourism Maurice Roche

Built around a problem solving theme, this book extends the intermediate and advanced student's expertise to more challenging situations that involve applying statistical methods to real-world problems. Data relevant to these problems are collected and analyzed to provide useful answers.
Building on its central problem-solving theme, a large number of data sets arising from real problems are contained in the text and in the exercises provided at the end of each chapter. Answers, or hints to providing answers, are provided in an appendix.
Concentrating largely on the established SPSS and the newer S-Plus statistical packages, the author provides a short, end-of-chapter section entitled "Computer Hints" that helps the student undertake the analyses reported in the chapter using these statistical packages.

As new techniques and approaches to supervision attract interest within therapy-related professions, the contributors to this informative book consider the nature of a supervision and examine the ways in which it can be further defined and developed. Drawing together practical and theoretical perspectives, Integrative Approaches to Supervision examines the contribution that supervision can make within both organisational and individual settings. The book covers frameworks and models for supervision, supervision in clinical practice and issues within integrative supervision. Topics include: different models of the supervision practice; anti-oppressive practice; spirituality and supervision; counselling supervision in health care; supervision of organisations; self-protection for supervisors from complaints and litigation. Wide in scope but rich in detail, this book is essential reading for psychotherapists, counsellors, consultants and students involved in the supervision process.

Passionate, political, informed and engaging, Bitter Harvest is filled with cautionary facts and statistics that every consumer should know, such as:
* nearly 80% of commercially processed chicken is infected with salmonella
* in ten years, 95% of our groceries may be consumed within 20 minutes of getting them home
* researchers believe that over a third of future cancers will be diet-related - roughly the same now attributable to smoking.
Throughout, Cooper argues persuasively why we must begin to change everything from the way food is shipped to the basic components of our diets and offers a comprehensive analysis of the issue of sustainability. In Bitter Harvest, this knowledgeable chef emerges as a political voice to be reckoned with and her manifesto is a must-read for anyone concerned with health, nutrition and the future of our food.

This volume collects recent studies conducted within the area of medical education that investigate two of the critical components of problem-based curricula--the group meeting and self-directed learning--and demonstrates that understanding these complex phenomena is critical to the operation of this innovative curriculum. It is the editors' contention that it is these components of problem-based learning that connect the initiating "problem" with the process of effective "learning." Revealing how this occurs is the task taken on by researchers contributing to this volume. The studies include use of self-reports, interviews, observations, verbal protocols, and micro-analysis to find ways into the psychological processes and sociological contexts that constitute the world of problem-based learning.

Factor Analysis and Dimension Reduction in R provides coverage, with worked examples, of a large number of dimension reduction procedures along with model performance metrics to compare them. Factor analysis in the form of principal components analysis (PCA) or principal factor analysis (PFA) is familiar to most social scientists. However, what is less familiar is understanding that factor analysis is a subset of the more general statistical family of dimension reduction methods. The social scientist's toolkit for factor analysis problems can be expanded to include the range of solutions this book presents. In addition to covering FA and PCA with orthogonal and oblique rotation, this book's coverage includes higher-order factor models, bifactor models, models based on binary and ordinal data, models based on mixed data, generalized low-rank models, cluster analysis with GLRM, models involving supplemental variables or observations, Bayesian factor analysis, regularized factor analysis, testing for unidimensionality, and prediction with factor scores. The second half of the book deals with other procedures for dimension reduction. These include coverage of kernel PCA, factor analysis with multidimensional scaling, locally linear embedding models, Laplacian eigenmaps, diffusion maps, force directed methods, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, independent component analysis (ICA), dimensionality reduction via regression (DRR), non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF), Isomap, Autoencoder, uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) models, neural network models, and longitudinal factor analysis models. In addition, a special chapter covers metrics for comparing model performance. Features of this book include: Numerous worked examples with replicable R code Explicit comprehensive coverage of data assumptions Adaptation of factor methods to binary, ordinal, and categorical data Residual and outlier analysis Visualization of factor results Final chapters that treat integration of factor analysis with neural network and time series methods Presented in color with R code and introduction to R and RStudio, this book will be suitable for graduate-level and optional module courses for social scientists, and on quantitative methods and multivariate statistics courses.

The Handbook of Research Methods in Human Memory presents a collection of chapters on methodology used by researchers in investigating human memory. Understanding the basic cognitive function of human memory is critical in a wide variety of fields, such as clinical psychology, developmental psychology, education, neuroscience, and gerontology, and studying memory has become particularly urgent in recent years due to the prominence of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's. However, choosing the most appropriate method of research is a daunting task for most scholars. This book explores the methods that are currently available in various areas of human memory research and serves as a reference manual to help guide readers' own research. Each chapter is written by prominent researchers and features cutting-edge research on human memory and cognition, with topics ranging from basic memory processes to cognitive neuroscience to further applications. The focus here is not on the "what," but the "how"-how research is best conducted on human memory.

The question of whether someone is psychologically healthy or mentally ill, and the fundamental nature of mental health underlying that question has been debated in cultural, academic, and clinical settings for millennia. This book provides an overview of how people have conceptualized and understood mental illness through the ages. The book begins by looking at mental illness in humanity's evolutionary past then moves through the major historical epochs: the mythological, the Classical, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and modern, and the postmodern. At each point, it focuses on major elements that emerged regarding how people judged sanity and insanity and places major emphasis on the growing fields of psychiatry and psychology as they emerged and developed. As the book moves into the twenty-first century, Dr. Jenkins presents his integrated model of knowledge, a systemic, holistic model of the psyche that creates a conceptual foundation for understanding both psychological wellness and disorder and approaching assessment and diagnosis. This text provides a valuable exploration of mental health and illness across the ages and gives those already well versed in the subject matter a fresh perspective on the past and new model of knowledge and assessment for the future.

See How to Use Statistics for New Testament Interpretation The Synoptic Problem and Statistics lays the foundations for a new area of interdisciplinary research that uses statistical techniques to investigate the synoptic problem in New Testament studies, which concerns the relationships between the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. There are potential applications of the techniques to study other sets of similar documents. Explore Hidden Markov Models for Textual Data The book provides an introductory account of the synoptic problem and relevant theories, literature, and research at a level suitable for academic and professional statisticians. For those with no special interest in biblical studies or textual analysis, the book presents core statistical material on the use of hidden Markov models to analyze binary time series. Biblical scholars interested in the synoptic problem or in the use of statistical methods for textual analysis can omit the more technical/mathematical aspects of the book. The binary time series data sets and R code used are available on the author's website.

Sages of various traditions and ages have reiterated that we must incorporate the inevitability of death into the fabric of life to experience life's breadth and beauty. Imagery is an important tool in dealing with death, and this book is devoted to exploring many facets of this fascinating issue. It begins with an overview of ancient and modern approaches to the use of death imagery for therapeutic purposes, including a discussion of its possible benefits. Chapter 2, specifically exploring Stephen Levine's contributions in this area, shows that only by opening up to the reality of death can one make living a conscious process of growth. A number of excellent imagery-based experiential exercises are discussed in detail. Chapter 3 demonstrates the significance of confronting death through mental and artistic images; it discusses six examples of death-related religious and existential works of art.Recently there has been an upsurge of interest in near-death experiences and their salutary effects on attitudes, beliefs, and values. Of particular interest here are increases in spirituality, concern for others, an appreciation of life, and an enhanced sense of meaning and purpose in life. Chapter 4 presents a detailed critical overview of this field of investigation, with special emphasis on the transformatory after-effects of near-death experiences. Of all the major religions in the world, Buddhism is at the forefront of exploring the topic of death and dying and developing specific meditative exercises for confronting death.Chapter 5 presents an in-depth treatment of death imagery in Buddhist thought. Exploring the use of hypnosis for death rehearsal, Chapter 6 continues the theme that confrontation with death can lead to healthful consequences. A variation of this technique, hypnotic suicidal rehearsal, is also discussed: it seems to be effective for use with clients who are contemplating suicide. Case examples clarify the details of the process.Over the years, several clinicians have proposed the use of imagery for reconstructing death-related events and thereby facilitating the grieving process for individuals who are experiencing symptoms rooted in unfinished grieving. Chapter 7 gives an exhaustive account of the use of imagery for unresolved grieving, including a number of case histories. Researchers have perhaps devoted more time and energy to the investigation of death anxiety than any other death-related topic. Chapter 8 reviews the literature on death anxiety and death imagery, and demonstrates a core connection between the two phenomena. The authors claim that death imagery has the potential not only to ameliorate death anxiety but also to lead to a more authentic existence.In Chapter 9, the authors explain how death imagery can be used constructively in death education; they present several practical suggestions and specific guided imagery exercises. The volume closes with a presentation of a detailed death-imagery experiential exercise aimed at encountering death to enhance our appreciation of life. The reader will notice this thread running steadily throughout the book. This comprehensive book devoted to the role of death imagery in health and growth, perhaps the first of its kind, will be helpful in changing the rather sinister view of death, prevalent in our culture, to a deeper appreciation for its enhancing potential.

"When a Child Has Been Murdered: Ways You Can Help the Grieving Parents" is a concise, easy- to-read guide that begins with a general discussion of the types of grief that result from death and non-death losses. Then, using statements made by parents whose children were murdered, it discusses the specifics of murdered-child grief including: the complex emotions felt by the grieving parents, how the necessity of interacting with the criminal justice system can alter and enhance these emotions, short- and long-term methods these parents employ to work through the grieving process and to reconstruct their shattered lives, and how anyone who comes in contact with the parents can help them survive their grief.

The contributors to this book examine the psychological dynamics, both individual and institutional, which can promote or obstruct the potential benefit of the audit. Focusing on psychotherapy services within the NHS, a setting where the culture of audit seems very much at odds with the culture of clinical practice, the book provides examples of success stories where clinical audit has been used to support a service's aims and aspirations. It draws conclusions that should be relevant to clinicians and managers across the range of the health care services.

Practical Guide to Logistic Regression covers the key points of the basic logistic regression model and illustrates how to use it properly to model a binary response variable. This powerful methodology can be used to analyze data from various fields, including medical and health outcomes research, business analytics and data science, ecology, fisheries, astronomy, transportation, insurance, economics, recreation, and sports. By harnessing the capabilities of the logistic model, analysts can better understand their data, make appropriate predictions and classifications, and determine the odds of one value of a predictor compared to another. Drawing on his many years of teaching logistic regression, using logistic-based models in research, and writing about the subject, Professor Hilbe focuses on the most important features of the logistic model. Serving as a guide between the author and readers, the book explains how to construct a logistic model, interpret coefficients and odds ratios, predict probabilities and their standard errors based on the model, and evaluate the model as to its fit. Using a variety of real data examples, mostly from health outcomes, the author offers a basic step-by-step guide to developing and interpreting observation and grouped logistic models as well as penalized and exact logistic regression. He also gives a step-by-step guide to modeling Bayesian logistic regression. R statistical software is used throughout the book to display the statistical models while SAS and Stata codes for all examples are included at the end of each chapter. The example code can be adapted to readers own analyses. All the code is available on the author's website.

In recent years, qualitative analysis has become accpeted as part of modern psychology. Concern about the limitations of conventional laboratory- based research combine with a growing interest in real world issues to produce an awareness of the rich potential of qualititative analysis. Virtualy all psychology students underatake practical work as part of their courses. More and more of them are seeking to conduct research which includes qualitative analysis. Too often, though, students lack awareness of the range and diversity of qualitative approaches. Qualitative analysis can take many different forms, and can use any different sources of data. At one end of the spectrum, this diversity provides the eclectic psychologists with a rich anaytical "tool-box". For those at the other end qualitative analysis is an integral part of a full theoretical critique of positivistic methodologies in psychology.
This text provides examples of how different psychologists have used qualitative analysis in research. Each chapter is based around a real piece of research, and the researcher discusses exactly how they went about conducting the analysis. The text covers a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches to qualitative analysis, and should be of interest to research psychologists as well as to students.

Related link: Available for Inspection
Related link: Free Email Alerting

From Ancient Greece to contemporary times, themes of fate and destiny have served as a central worldview for many. These compelling ideas have guided those in battle, and provided influence and inspirations for politicians, philosophers, and artists. Despite a pervasive concern with fate, we find that an explicit discussion of this construct is absent from psychological theory. Twist of Fate reconciles contemporary psychological research with the ancient and frequently held position of fatalism that was common in that era. The Greek mythological history of the "Moirae" (the triad of goddesses known as the "Fates") offers a unique perspective on human beings by illustrating how fate and destiny influence a variety of behaviors such as drug addiction, spirituality, sexual activity, aggression, and other applied psychological topics. An analysis of the "Moirae" integrates diverse ideas from evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and Nietzsche's philosophy into a fatalistic view of the human personality. The analysis raises the issues of possibilities for personal change, the role of clinical interventions, and what role freedom actually plays in the human experience. Twist of Fate also accounts for recent developments in personality theory and research by shedding new light on findings from evolutionary psychology, narrative theory, and trait psychology. The result is an integrative personality theory that takes the reader from Nietzsche to neuroscience.