Internet surveysWith so many people now online, the Internet has become an important way to conduct psychological research. Researchers post their studies and participants “sign up” by visiting a Web site, reading instructions, registering their consent, and providing responses to a variety of research tasks. Surveys, for example, can be done relatively easily on the Web. In fact, some researchers offer a small sum of money to people for their participation. But there are important research issues to be considered when looking at data collected from a Web site. What about external validity, for instance? Can we generalize results from Web users to other people not using the Web? Researchers are pursuing answers to these questions. In the meantime, participation can be fun and, by completing a survey, you are able to say you have helped the science of psychology. Here’s a Web site where you can take part in Web-based survey research:
Eating Disorders
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) maintains an information-packed website that may be used to find answers to many questions about mental health. You can easily search the site for information about emotional and mental disorders. Descriptions of current research studies funded by NIMH are also available. Should you wish to find out more about eating disorders, for example, which were discussed in Chapter 5, this site is a good place to start:
