Chapter 4: Psychological Assessments & Research Methods

Question 1

What are the challenges in conducting research in abnormal psychology?

Answer 1

• difficult to convince people to participate
• abnormal behaviours and feelings are difficult to measure
  → self-reports are often distorted
  → observers’ reports can be biased
• most forms of abnormality have multiple causes that are difficult to design a study around

Question 2

What are the four steps to conducting any scientic research?

Answer 2

1 - define a problem
2 - specify a testable hypothesis
3 - choose and implement a research method
4 - analyze data, draw appropriate conclusions, communicate findings

Question 3

How is a prediction tested?

Answer 3

• as predicted (relationship and effect)

OR

• as if prediction is incorrect (no relationship or effect
  → called the null hypothesis

Question 4

What is operationalization?

Answer 4

• way in which the researcher measures or manipulates the variables in a study

Question 5

What are case studies?

Answer 5

• detailed histories of individuals who have suffered some form of psychological disorder
• single experiences and general inferences

Question 6

What are the advantages of case studies?

Answer 6

• rich and unique detail about individual
• sometimes only way to study rare problems
• useful for generating ideas and hypotheses

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of case studies?

Answer 7

• not generalizable
• lack objectivity
• hard to replicate

Question 8

What is statistical significance?

Answer 8

• threshold at which we conclude that there is a real relationship between variables that is not attributable merely to chance
• generally 0.05

Question 9

What is an experimental effect?

Answer 9

• when differences in a dependent variable are found to occur as a function of manipulation of the independent variable
• i.e. when a thing happens

Question 10

What are the advantages of a controlled experiment?

Answer 10

• allows inference of causation

- high internal validity

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of a controlled experiment?

Answer 11

• extremely difficult because of the need to control many factors
• ethical dilemmas may arise
• limired generalizability due to rigorous requirements of participant selection and intervention procedures

Question 12

What are the advantages of a correlational studies?

Answer 12

• reflect real world problems by capturing many variables at play in real world setting
• good external validity

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of a correlational studies?

Answer 13

• cause v. consequence challenge
  (including third variable problem)
• findings are dependent on timing of observation, report, or measurement

Question 14

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 14

• unwanted effect of a participant trying to guess what the hypothesis might be or to try to meet some perceived expectation

Question 15

What are the types of experimental studies used in abnormal psych?

Answer 15

• human laboratory (analogue) study
• animal study
• therapy outcome

Question 16

What is meta-analysis?

Answer 16

• statistical technique for analysing results across multiple studies

Question 17

What are the limitations to meta-analysis?

Answer 17

• incorporates finding of poorly done studies

- file drawer effect: cannot capture studies that were not published

Question 18

What is clinical significance?

Answer 18

• concerned with practical utility

Question 19

What is epidemiology?

Answer 19

• study of incidence and prevalence of disorders in a population
• also identifies risk factors that increase likelihood of developing a disorder

Question 20

What is incidence?

Answer 20

• number of new cases of a disorder in a particular population over a specified time period, usually a year

Question 21

What is prevalence?

Answer 21

• frequency of a disorder in a population at a given point or period of time

Question 22

What is the advantage of epidemiological research?

Answer 22

• detailed collection of information concerning the incidence and prevalence of disorders in large population
• essential to understanding factors contributing to the health of population

Question 23

What are the limitations of epidemiological studies?

Answer 23

• not easy to make inferences about cause and effect
• large number of participants required for relationships between factors to be recognized
• time consuming and financially costly