The Sage handbook of methods in social psychology / edited by Carol Sansone, Carolyn C. Morf and A.T. Panter.

This handbook gives researchers and students an overview of the rich history of methodological innovation in both basic and applied research within social psychology. It is sometimes difficult for researchers, new and seasoned alike, to keep up with innovations that allow a greater diversity in the kinds and levels of research questions that can be addressed. As a result, the nature of the questions asked by many researchers may be unnecessarily constrained. Conversely, a rush to embrace newer approaches can lead to less-than-thorough consideration of fundamental issues that transcend any particular approach. The editors believe that the decision to use a particular methodological approach is optimally made when grounded in careful consideration of the `big picture' of a program of research. Thus, methodological decisions are inextricably tied to what the researcher, ultimately, wants to know. In other words, research questions guide the methods rather than the reverse. Based on this `top-down' perspective, chapters in this volume emphasize the conceptual basis of the methodology, with an explicit focus on the meaning of data when obtained via a particular methodology.

ForewordPrefaceSECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK1. The Research Process: Of Big Pictures, Little Details, and the Social Psychological Road In Between - Carol Sansone, Carolyn Morf & A.T. Panter SECTION TWO: FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH2. The Methodological Assumptions of Social Psychology: The Mutual Dependence of Substantive Theory & Method Choice - Thomas D. Cook & Carla Groom3. Ethical Issues in Social Psychology Research - Allan J. Kimmel4. Developing a Program of Research - Susan FiskeSECTION THREE: DESIGN & ANALYSISA. Implications of a Heterogeneous Population: Deciding for Whom to Test the Research Question(s), Why, and How5. Culturally Sensitive Research Questions and Methods in Social Psychology - Joan Miller6. Individual Differences in Social Psychology: Understanding Situations to Understand People, Understanding People to Understand Situations - Yuichi ShodaB. Operationalizing the Constructs: Deciding What to MEasure, Why, and How7. Constructing & Evaluating Quantitative Measures for Social Psychological Research: Conceptual Challenges & Methodological Solutions - Duane T. Wegener & Leandre R. Fabrigar8. Measures & Meanings: The Use of Qualitative Data in Social & Personality Psychology - Laura A. King9. Implicit Methods in Social Psychology - John F. Kihlstrom10. Mediated and Moderated Effects in Social Psychological Research: Measurement, Design, & Analysis Issues - Rick H. Hoyle & Jorgianne I. RobinsonC. Research Designs: Deciding the Specific Approach for Testing the Research Question(s), why, and How11. Experimental Designs & Causality in Social Psychology Research - S. Alexander Haslam & Craig McGarty12. Quasi-experimental & Correlational Designs: Methods for the Real World When Random Assignment Isn't Feasible - Melvin M. Mark & Charles S. Reichardt13. Within-subject & Longitudinal Experiments: Design & Analysis Issues - Stephen G. West, Jeremy C. Beisanz & Oi-Man Kwok14. Measuring Individuals in a Social Environment: Conceptualizing Dyadic & Group Interaction - Richard Gonzalez & Dale Griffin15. Quantitative Research Synthesis: Examining Study Outcomes over Settings, Samples, & Time - Wendy Wood & P. Niels ChristensenSECTION FOUR: EMERGING INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES: THE INTEGRATION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY & OTHER DISCIPLINES16. Methodological & Ethical Issues in Conducting Social Psychology Research via the Internet - Michael H. Birnbaum17. Social Neuroscience: Bridging Social & Biological Systems - John T. Cacioppo, Tyler S. Lorig, Howard C. Nusbaum & Gary G. Berntson18. Supplementing the Snapshots with Video Footage: Taking a Developmental Approach to Understanding Social Psychological Phenomena - Eva M. Pomerantz, Diane N. Rubl,e & Niall BolgerSECTION FIVE: THE APPLICATION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY & ITS METHODS TO OTHER DOMAINS19. Program Evaluation, Action Research, & Social Psychology: A Powerful Blend for Addressing Applied Problems - Geoffrey Maruyama20. Methodological Challenges & Scientific Rewards for Social Psychologists Conducting Health Behavior Research - Peter Salovey & Wayne T. Steward21. Research Methods of Micro Organizational Behavior - Leigh Thompson, Mary Kern, & Denise Lewin Loyd22. Conducting Social Psychological Research in Educational Settings: "Lessons We Learned in School - Judith M. Harackiewicz & Kenneth E. BarronName IndexSubject IndexAbout the EditorsAbout the contributors

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.