1st Edition
Research Methods for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Science and Practice
This important and useful book offers a clear and comprehensive foundation for research methods in industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology. The text provides readers with a key understanding of the research, theory, and practice needed towards becoming a research methods expert.
The use of trustworthy and rigorous research methods is foundational to advancing the science of industrial and organizational psychology and its practice in the field. Understanding this, the authors have paired straightforward, plainly written explanations in a conversational tone with illuminating diagrams and illustrations. Many descriptions are followed by in-depth demonstrations and examples from relevant software, including SPSS, R, and even Excel when it’s the best option available. Insightful and accessible, the text covers the full gamut of I-O research methods, from theory to practice and everywhere between.
Paired with a detailed instructor’s manual, this book serves as a gentle but thorough introduction to the complex world of research methods in I-O psychology for both master’s and Ph.D. students, as well as researchers, academics, and practitioners.
PART I. Foundations
1. Becoming a Researcher, Becoming an I-O Psychologist
2. Reviewing Research Literature with a Goal in Mind
3. Selecting the Best Research Strategy From Your Literature Review
4. Selecting a Research Population and Identifying a Sample
PART II. Qualitative Methods
5. Approaches for Investigating and Respecting Complexity
6. Data Collection, Analytic Strategies, and Minimizing Bias
PART III. Quantitative Methods
7. Measuring Psychological Constructs
8. Research Design in Pursuit of Trustworthy Conclusions
9. Building and Administering a Questionnaire
10. Creating a Rating Scale That Reflects a Construct
11. Cleaning Data Without Hacking Them
PART IV. Advanced Topics
12. Null Hypothesis Significance Testing and Reasonable Alternatives
13. Understanding and Executing Meta-Analyses
14. Strategies for Openly Sharing Research, Materials, and Data
15. From Start to Finish: Guidelines and a Checklist for Conducting Research
Biography
Richard N. Landers, Ph.D., is the John P. Campbell Distinguished Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of Minnesota and Principal Investigator of Testing New Technologies in Learning, Assessment, and Behavior (TNTLAB).
Tara S. Behrend, Ph.D., is the John Richard Butler II Endowed Professor of Human Resources and Labor Relations at Michigan State University. She directs the Workplaces and Virtual Environments Lab, which focuses on the psychological and policy implications of emerging workplace technologies.
"What stands out about this book in that it is not simply about research techniques, but rather about the process of becoming a researcher. There is a strong focus on developing one's identity, attitudes, and values as a scholar. I've had the good fortune to "try out" draft chapters from this book in my Research Methods in Industrial and Organizational Psychology course for the last few years. I've taught this for decades, and this text really adds value to the course. It is very favorably received by students. Landers and Behrend have provided a great service to the field with this project."
Paul Sackett, Richard Fink Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, USA"Landers and Behrend have provided an indispensable guide to research methods in I-O psychology, driven by an underlying principle that similar books often forget, namely that research is a human enterprise at its essence. In fact, the leading chapter explores a philosophical question that is as unique as it is important: How might one's beliefs, assumptions, and practices influence the conduct of research? Through their social and scientific explanations, the authors make the strong case for diverse research and researchers in I-O psychology.
This philosophical perspective then drives its subsequent chapters: creating a compelling case for conducting a study, conducting a solid literature review, stating your research hypotheses clearly, choosing a research method judiciously, deciding on a research sample appropriate to the study, cleaning and analyzing your data in a principled manner, and identifying a journal and target audience. Landers and Behrend emphasize that careful planning underlies all the above components of one's research strategy (e.g., preregistration, IRB approval, pilot testing, revising a paper). The concluding chapter, in fact, provides a checklist of these components, so that all I-O psychologists can take a systematic approach to their research (and to avoid common pitfalls). The book chapters contain other checklists that I hope readers will find to be as valuable as I did (e.g., developing a survey, cleaning data, conducting a meta-analysis).
Overall, Landers and Behrend convey their deep knowledge and experience in a highly accessible, informative--and yes, humorous--manner. You will greatly benefit from reading this book if you are a graduate student, faculty member, or practitioner who wants to improve how they conduct, interpret, use, and critically discuss research in I-O psychology. It is not a stretch to say this book is a tool for I-O psychologists to provide greater benefit to workers, teams, organizations--and by no large stretch, society."
Fred Oswald, PhD, Professor and Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, USA
