The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences Volume 1: Building a Program of Research
Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I From Idea to Reality: The Basics of Research
- Part II The Building Blocks of a Study
- Part III Data Collection
- 13 Cross-Sectional Studies
- 14 Quasi-Experimental Research
- 15 Non-equivalent Control Group Pretest–Posttest Design in Social and Behavioral Research
- 16 Experimental Methods
- 17 Longitudinal Research: A World to Explore
- 18 Online Research Methods
- 19 Archival Data
- 20 Qualitative Research Design
- Part IV Statistical Approaches
- Part V Tips for a Successful Research Career
- Index
- References
16 - Experimental Methods
from Part III - Data Collection
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 May 2023
Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I From Idea to Reality: The Basics of Research
- Part II The Building Blocks of a Study
- Part III Data Collection
- 13 Cross-Sectional Studies
- 14 Quasi-Experimental Research
- 15 Non-equivalent Control Group Pretest–Posttest Design in Social and Behavioral Research
- 16 Experimental Methods
- 17 Longitudinal Research: A World to Explore
- 18 Online Research Methods
- 19 Archival Data
- 20 Qualitative Research Design
- Part IV Statistical Approaches
- Part V Tips for a Successful Research Career
- Index
- References
Summary
This chapter provides an accessible introduction to experimental methods for social and behavioral scientists. We cover the process of experimentation from generating hypotheses through to statistical analyses. The chapter discusses classical issues (e.g., experimental design, selecting appropriate samples) but also more recent developments that have attracted the attention of experimental researchers. These issues include replication, preregistration, online samples, and power analyses. We also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of experimental methods. We conclude by noting that, for many research questions, experimental methods provide the strongest test of hypothesized causal relationships. Furthermore, well-designed experiments can elicit the same mental processes as in the real world; this typically makes them generalizable to new people and real-life situations.
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral SciencesVolume 1: Building a Program of Research, pp. 333 - 356Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023
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