Although the same general research principles that guide other investigations should apply to research with the Rorschach Inkblot Method, the nature of the Rorschach as a relatively unstructured measure of personality functioning calls for special attention to selection of research participants, choice of variables, and data collection and…

Research with couples requires measurement and data analytic techniques extending beyond those typically used with individuals. Measurement issues in couples' research that influence subsequent approaches to data analysis are reviewed, with emphasis on issues of nonindependence in couples' data. Univariate and multivariate analyses of…

Three types of methodological issues particularly salient in research involving the assessment of substance use or abuse are discussed with strategies for avoiding problems: (1) the reliability and validity of methods; (2) the variability and episodic course of substance use; and (3) the heterogeneity of individuals with substance use disorders.…

The methodological and practical problems that are especially common in or unique to assessment research in correctional settings are discussed. The distinctive culture of correctional institutions and the complications caused by governing bodies contribute to the particular problems encountered in collecting and analyzing data. (SLD)

Difficulties in defining and examining ethnicity as a variable in psychological research are explored, and it is asserted that many problems in assessment research arise from not making explicit the assumptions underlying the use of ethnicity as an exploratory variable and from inadequately describing cultural and contextual characteristics of…

Methodological issues in geropsychological assessment research are discussed and illustrated through recent investigations. Cross-sectional studies are needed to extend and diversify age norms, and short-term longitudinal studies should be planned to assess the predictive validity of test outcomes and diagnostic profiles of older adults. (SLD)

Psychophysiological measures are generally those in which electrodes measure central or autonomous nervous system or skeletomotor activity with the goals of establishing linkages between the measurement and specific psychological processes. Psychophysiological methods and the difficulties inherent in their use are discussed. Guidelines are…

Over the 17 years since a previous review by 2 of the present authors, the field of clinical neuropsychology has made advances in techniques, theoretical constructs, and statistical models. With careful attention to methodological issues and underlying concepts and hypotheses, the field will continue to thrive. (SLD)

Two basic models are presented of emotional functioning as it is commonly considered relative to brain damage. Methodological concerns in the literature are reviewed, and issues of measurement are highlighted to demonstrate the importance of empirically defining the prevalence of emotional effects. (SLD)

A formative evaluation model is proposed for use by administrators of large health services research grant programs. The model assists in assessing the purpose, methodology, and level of analysis of funded research. It is illustrated through a discussion of HIV/AIDS care. (SLD)

Using data covering 111 weeks, the impact of 3 increasingly restrictive policies on reporting hot pursuits by police officers on the ratio of accidents to reported pursuits was studied. More restrictive pursuit policies did not increase noncompliance with reporting requirements. (SLD)

Whether the effectiveness of additional mathematics instruction could be improved by new materials for students and interactive teaching was studied with 24 female business administration students and 19 female controls. Results indicate that proper use of the newly developed materials helped improve the application of mathematics knowledge in…

A simple way to assess the statistical power of experimental designs, based on the concept of a minimum detectable effect, is described. How to compute minimum detectable effects and how to apply the method of assessment of alternative experimental designs are illustrated. (SLD)

Some of the threats to internal validity that arise when evaluating the impact of water conservation programs during a drought are illustrated. These include differential response to the drought, self-selection bias, and measurement error. How to deal with these problems when high-quality disaggregate data are available is discussed. (SLD)

Major proposals that psychologists have made about how humans segment their world into categories are reviewed. The anthropological literature that bears on the same issues is explored, noting its implications for psychological theory. Cross-cultural data provide substantial constraints for theories of category coherence. (SLD)