Second Edition of Experimental Psychology: Fundamental of Research Published.
The second edition of Experimental Psychology: Fundamental of Research, authored by Barry H. Kantowitz, Henry L. Roediger III, and David G. Elmes, and translated by Dr. Mahmoud Heidari (Associate Professor at the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University), Dr. Zhila Katibayi (Assistant Professor at Allameh Tabataba’i University), and Dr. Mohammad Karim Khodapanahi (Professor at the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University), was published in 2024 (1403 in the Iranian calendar). The book consists of 378 pages in a standard size format and is available from the university press at a price of 2,250,000 IRR.
Experimental psychology employs scientifically valid methods to study the biological and cognitive processes underlying behavior, particularly in humans. This field examines theories and hypotheses in various domains of psychology, such as sensation, perception, learning and memory, personality, social psychology, motivation and emotion, environmental psychology, and human factors. The goal is to infer causal relationships between observed phenomena under controlled conditions. The first psychological research studies began in 1879 at the University of Leipzig, where Wilhelm Wundt established the first experimental psychology laboratory. He believed that psychological processes could be analyzed by studying their fundamental components. Around the same time, Charles Richet and Binet in France, Galton in England, and Stanley Hall in the United States also founded experimental psychology laboratories. In Iran, experimental psychology—then referred to as "practical psychology"—was introduced in 1938 (1317 in the Iranian calendar) by the late Dr. Mohammad Baqer Houshyar. In addition to authoring books, he conducted research at the University of Tehran. Since then, numerous valuable books on experimental psychology have been written or translated by esteemed Iranian psychology professors. However, a comprehensive source that integrates methodology with real research content in experimental psychology had been missing.
This book, authored by distinguished American psychology professors and editors of the Journal of Experimental Psychology, fills that gap by effectively illustrating methodological principles through carefully selected examples. The content is structured into two sections with a total of fifteen chapters. The second section, titled Experimental Psychology: Principles and Applications, consists of ten chapters and two appendices and has been jointly published by Shahid Beheshti University and SAMT Publications. The first section (this book), Experimental Psychology: Fundamental of Research, consists of five methodology chapters and a statistical appendix and has been published independently by Shahid Beheshti University Press. A notable feature of this book is the inclusion of two chapters on ethics in psychological research and how to read and write research papers—topics rarely covered in methodology books but highly beneficial for students. Additionally, the statistical appendix, though concise, is rich in content, with a particularly insightful section on "Misuses of Statistics" at the end. It is hoped that the comprehensive discussions in this book will further inspire research in the field of psychology and serve as a valuable resource for students and enthusiasts.
Students and interested readers can purchase the book from the Sales Office of the Scientific Publications Center at Shahid Beheshti University, located on the ground floor of the Information Technology (IT) building. Alternatively, they can order it online through the center’s website. The electronic version of the book is also available on Fidibo and Taghche platforms.