Designing Experiments for the Social Sciences

Renita Coleman has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida, a master's and Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Missouri. Her research focuses on ethics, framing and agenda setting with a special focus on visual communication. She has studied the effects of photographs on ethical reasoning, the framing and attribution of responsibility in health news, and the moral development of journalists and public relations practitioners, among other topics. She has published more than 40 peer reviewed articles in academic journals including Journal of Communication, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Journalism, and Journalism Studies. She has two co-authored books, "Image and Emotion In Voter Decisions: The Affect Agenda," in 2015, and "The Moral Media: How Journalists Reason About Ethics" in 2005. Before beginning her academic career, Coleman was a journalist at newspapers and magazines for 15 years. She was a reporter, editor, and designer at the Raleigh, N.C. News & Observer, the Sarasota FL Herald-Tribune, and the Orlando, FL Sentinel among other news organizations. Coleman teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in ethics, lifestyle journalism, and experimental design.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Author 1. Discovering Cause and Effect Causation Experiments Compared to Other Methods Basic Criteria for Experiments Elements of Experiments Starting a Study of Your Own 2. Ethics and Famous Experiments in History The Scurvy Studies The Contributions of Charles Peirce Ronald Fisher's Plots and Tea B. F. Skinner: Small Samples, High Tech Stanley Milgram Shocks the World Philip Zimbardo: Raising Consciences in a Stanford Basement Conclusion 3. Theory, Literature, and Hypotheses The Literature Review Hypotheses and Research Questions 4. Types of Experiments Campbell and Stanley's Typology of Experiments Quasi Experiments Natural Experiments Field Experiments 5. Internal and External Validity Ecological and External Validity Generalizability Cause and Effect Logical Inference Replication Internal Validity 6. Factorial Designs Single-Factor Designs Factorial Designs How Subjects Are Used in Designs Control Groups 7. Random Assignment The Purpose of Random Assignment Operationalizing Random Assignment Reporting Random Assignment Balanced and Unbalanced Designs Checking That Random Assignment Was Effective Blocking, Matching, and Other Strategies Random Assignment of Other Things Random Assignment Resistance 8. Sampling and Effect Sizes Student Samples Amazon's Mechanical Turk Other Subject Sources Recruiting Incentives Sample Size and Power 9. Stimuli and Manipulation Checks Examples of Stimuli Advice on Creating Stimuli Manipulation Checks Reporting the Stimuli and Manipulation Checks 10. Instruments and Measures Instruments Measurement Issues 11. The Institutional Review Board and Conducting Ethical Experiments Institutional Review Boards Ethical Issues in Experiments Protecting Subjects Researcher Issues Pilot Studies Glossary Index

"This book offers many examples and hands-on instruction that can help students learn how to conduct experiments." -- Francis O. Adeola "This book is a must for learning about the experimental design-from forming a research question to interpreting the results, this text covers it all." -- Sarah El Sayed "This text provides students with an excellent explanation of experimental methodology: not just descriptions of elements of the experiment method, but understanding of where those elements came from, how and why they work together, and how students can become scholars." -- Kyle J. Holody "This is a comprehensive text on experiments, clearly and engagingly written, with many excellent examples. Renita Coleman has included everything the student will need to develop, design, and execute a methodologically-sound experiment." -- Glenn Leshner "This textbook is detailed and well organized, with each topic progressing logically to build on foundational knowledge. Students will find it easy to master research concepts, and practice using the exercises and examples provided. The 'Study Spotlight' scenarios and practical examples are effective tools to demonstrate research designs, and the 'Test Your Knowledge Quizzes' reinforce student learning." -- Janet Reid-Hector "This book is well-written and readable. If you need to grasp concepts of experimental designs, this book guides you as to what the experimental designs are, and what you should keep in mind in conducting your studies." -- Ji-Hoon Ryoo