Your Undergraduate Psychology Project

Preface xi
 
Acknowledgements xiii
 
1. Planning Research 1
 
Choosing a Research Topic 1
 
The textbook method 2
 
The television method 3
 
The pub chat or coffee bar method 4
 
The internet method 5
 
The lecturer method 5
 
Think again! 5
 
Self-interest 6
 
Replication versus Novelty 7
 
Pure versus Applied Research 8
 
Researching the Project: Finding Literature 9
 
Using internet search engines 10
 
Snowballing and searching via citations 10
 
Using electronic databases 12
 
Boolean operators 12
 
Narrowing searches 13
 
How many references? 15
 
Statistics on the internet 16
 
Choosing a Method 16
 
Single-case designs 17
 
Case studies 17
 
Choosing qualitative methods 18
 
Differences or relationships? 21
 
Primary or secondary data? 22
 
Observational methods 23
 
Protocol analysis 24
 
Multiple methods 25
 
Control Groups 25
 
Matching Methods to Analysis 26
 
Power Analysis 27
 
To Pilot or Not to Pilot 28
 
Developing Materials 29
 
Experimental stimuli 29
 
Questionnaires 31
 
Looking professional 35
 
Interviews 36
 
Cross-cultural studies and translation of materials 39
 
'Borrowing' Materials 40
 
The Internet as a Research Tool 40
 
Managing Time: Keeping on Track 42
 

Start early 42
 
Match the project to the time available 42
 
Overplanning 43
 
Plan B 43
 
Response rates 45
 
Your supervisor's time 46
 
Project milestones 46
 
Tips on managing time 47
 
Writing a Proposal 51
 
Research Ethics 52
 
Informed consent 53
 
Undue pressure 55
 
Deception 55
 
Protection of participants from harm and 'acceptable' risk 55
 
Incentives 56
 
Withdrawal

Mark Forshaw is Director of Endpoint Development and Outcomes Assessment at Adelphi Values, UK, having previously been a Principal Lecturer and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health Psychology at Staffordshire University. He is Chair of the BPS Membership Standards Board, and a Trustee of the BPS, and the winner of the BPS Division of Health Psychology Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advancement of Health Psychology 2011. He is the author of many books, including Critical Thinking for Psychology: A Student Guide (Wiley, 2012).

"An essential, practical guide for students conducting a final year study in psychology. This text provides guidance on many questions, enabling the student to make full use of valuable yet limited time with his or her supervisor. This text should be viewed as an invaluable asset to the project student." "Paul Castle, Senior Lecturer in Sport Psychology, University College Worcester "



"This book is practical, easily accessible, well written and brimming with good advice. It offers guidelines to the psychology student on the often daunting task of designing and writing a final year dissertation. It begins by including helpful material on how to find relevant information about the chosen topic and helps steer the student through the entire research process, concluding the journey with the presentation of the final report. This book should not be too far away from any student's side." "Karen Monaghan, BSc (Hons) Psychology, Glasgow Caledonian" "University, BPS Student Members' Group - Chair 2004/5"

"Final year psychology students carrying out a substantial empirical project should find this book very useful indeed. They should keep it by them and consult each section thoroughly at the start of each phase of their work: planning the project, gathering data, analysing data and, most importantly of all, writing it up. The text is crammed with the useful insight and experiences of an author who has clearly witnessed the passage of very many project students through their empirical trials; students should benefit from this experience by avoiding many of the pitfalls and blind alleys that lie in wait for the unwary and naive psychological researcher. Despite its topic the book is not dry and the author's own zest for research and generally humorous outlook on life shine through from most pages. When possible, and when it is appropriate, the author chooses highly entertaining examples to get across what could otherwise be a dreary point to the young reader