Methods in Behavioral Research [Paperback]

Paul C. Cozby (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0767410637 | ISBN-13: 978-0767410632 | Publication Date: June 16, 2000 | Edition: 7

This concise introduction to research methods and design for psychology and behavioral science courses offers the core strengths of direct, clear writing and interesting, illustrative examples. Reviewers have consistently praised the text for helping students conceptualize and critique research and research design effectively.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul C. Cozby is Professor of Psychology at California State University, Fullerton. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and B.A. from the University of California, Riverside. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and has been an officer of the Society for Computers in Psychology. He is coauthor of Research Methods in Human Development (McGraw-Hill). He is currently studying learning in a distance education environment.

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 7 edition (June 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767410637
• ISBN-13: 978-0767410632
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul C Cozby is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Cozby was an undergraduate at the University of California, Riverside, and received his Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Minnesota. His mentor at Minnesota was Paul Rosenblatt. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Western Psychological Association, and he is a member of the the Association for Psychological Science. He is Executive Officer of the Western Psychological Association. He is the author of Using Computers in the Behavioral Sciences and co-editor with Daniel Perlman of Social Psychology. Dr. Cozby currently lives in Arizona where he also enjoys cooking, walking, and B-movies.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cozby Brings Simplicity to Complex Research Methods, July 3, 2003

By 

R. Beaux Ugarte (NSU, Fort Lauderdale, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Methods in Behavioral Research (Paperback)

The author did a commendable job of keeping the reading at a level that was clear, concise, and simple. I had to have this book for a Research Methods course at Nova Southeastern University during the Summer I session (2003), and despite the difficulty of the course (e.g., the terminology, the somewhat dry concepts, and the statistics), Cozby "pounded" the concepts into my head by providing clear outlines of understanding. The text was very easy to read and a true psychologist chose to incorporate a reader-friendly font (10.5/12 Legacy Serif Book). The chapters are very short, too, and abstract concepts are minimal; Cozby ensured that the main points are kept as the focus of each chapter. Please enjoy this treasure! R. Beaux Ugarte, NSU

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible and understandable without being patronizing, July 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Methods in Behavioral Research (Paperback)

Twenty years ago, I was "forced" to purchase the 1st edition of this textbook, for a blech, introduction to social sciences course. I am very glad I did.

In reality, this is probably the only text I have reread (and many times) since leaving college. It's an introduction to the scientific method applicable to any of the sciences. It presents relatively advanced topics in statistics: the how and the why. And it's pretty humourous too.

The author provides simple and understandable examples that make abstract notions of statistics and the scientific method concrete and relevant.

Very seriously, I've used the knowledge I found in here will be used on a day to day basis to evaluate all those studies that we're assaulted with: is oat bran good for you, are mammograms associated with increased breast cancer for males under 40, all those things.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A PhD candidate must have, September 7, 2011

By 

Jeffrey Phipps - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Methods in Behavioral Research (Paperback)

Cozby writes in clear language about all the nuances and details a doctoral student must know. The book also points out numerous behavioral details that we tend to overlook because they seem obvious. The book speaks of bias in research that is more accidental than obvious. No two people are alike, and so no two researchers perceptions are alike either. The book does an excellent job of examining potential flaws in thinking and researching, and provides methods to avoid these problems. The entire discussion is aided by the fact that Cozby does not talk down to you, nor is the discussion boring. I would even go so far as to say that students need this book earlier to help develop critical thinking skills, because this book really helps in that area. If you are taking statistics and never seem to understand what all the terminology means, this book helps you understand. If you've already taken statistics, you will still benefit from that part of the discussion. All around, this is a researchers best friend. This book mentions another book by Trochim and Donnelly, which is a great complement to this one. Buy both - you'll never regret it.