Chapter 4: Research Methods Flashcards
dependent variable
In an experimental study, the phenomenon that is measured and expected to be influenced (compare with independent variable).
external validity
Extent to which research findings generalize, or apply, to people and settings not involved in the study.
hypothesis
Educated guess or statement to be tested by research.
independent variable
Phenomenon manipulated by the experimenter in a study and expected to influence the dependent variable.
internal validity
Extent to which the results of a study can be attributed to the independent variable after confounding alternative explanations have been ruled out.
research design
Plan of experimentation used to test a hypothesis.
testability
Ability of a hypothesis, for example, to be subjected to scientific scrutiny and to be accepted or rejected, a necessary condition for the hypothesis to be useful.
analogue model
Approach to research that employs subjects who are similar to clinical clients, allowing replication of a clinical problem under controlled conditions.
confound
Any factor occurring in a study that makes the results uninterpretable because its effects cannot be separated from those of the variables being studied.
confounding variable
Variable in a research study that was not part of the intended design and that may contribute to changes in the dependent variable.
control group
Group of individuals in a study who are similar to the experimental subjects in every way but are not exposed to the treatment received by the experimental group. Their presence allows for a comparison of the differential effects of the treatment.
generalizability
Extent to which research results apply to a range of individuals not included in the study.
randomization
Method for placing individuals into research groups that assures each an equal chance of being assigned to any group, thus eliminating any systematic differences
across groups.
case study method
Research procedure in which a single person or small group is studied in detail. The method does not allow conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships, and
findings can be generalized only with great caution (contrast with single-case experimental design).
clinical significance
Degree to which research findings have useful and meaningful applications to real problems.
effect size
Statistical measure that shows the amount of difference among the members of a group in a clinical study.
patient uniformity myth
Tendency to consider all members of a category as more similar than they are, ignoring their individual differences.
statistical significance
Probability that obtaining the observed research findings merely by chance is small.
correlation
Degree to which two variables are associated. In a positive correlation, the two variables increase or decrease together. In a negative correlation, one variable decreases as the other increases.
correlation coefficient
Computed statistic reflecting the strength and direction of any association between two variables. It can range
from 1.00 through 0.00 (indicating no association) to 1.00, with the absolute value indicating the strength and the sign reflecting the direction.
positive correlation
Association between two variables in which one increases as the other increases.
directionality
Possibility that when two variables, A and B, are correlated variable A causes variable B or variable B causes variable A.
epidemiology
Psychopathology research method examining the prevalence, distribution, and consequences of disorders in
populations.
negative correlation
Association between two variables in which one increases as the other decreases.
experiment
Research method that can establish causation by manipulating the variables in question and controlling for alternative explanations of any observed effects.
placebo control group
In an outcome experiment, a control group that does not receive the experimental manipulation but is given a
similar procedure with an identical expectation of change, allowing the researcher to assess any placebo effect.
placebo effect
Behavior change resulting from the person’s expectation of change rather than from the experimental manipulation itself.
comparative treatment research
Outcome research that contrasts two or more treatment
methods to determine which is most effective.
double-blind control
Procedure in outcome studies that prevents bias by ensuring that neither the subjects nor the providers of the experimental treatment know who is receiving treatment and who is receiving placebo.
repeated measurement
When responses are measured on more than two occasions (not just before and after intervention) to assess trends.
single-case experimental design
Research tactic in which an independent variable is
manipulated for a single individual, allowing cause-and-effect conclusions but with limited generalizability (contrast with case study method).
baseline
Measured rate of a behavior before introduction of an intervention that allows comparison and assessment of the effects of the intervention.
level
Degree of behavior change with different interventions (for example, high or low).
trend
Direction of change of a behavior or behaviors (for example, increasing or decreasing).
variability
Degree of change in a phenomenon over time.
withdrawal design
Removing a treatment to note whether it has been effective. In single-case experimental designs, a behavior is measured (baseline), an independent variable is introduced (intervention), and then the intervention is withdrawn. Because the behavior continues to be measured throughout (repeated measurement), any effects of the
intervention can be noted. Also called reversal design.
genotype
Specific genetic makeup of an individual.
multiple baseline
Single-case experimental design in which measures are taken on two or more behaviors or on a single behavior in two or more situations. A particular intervention is introduced for each at different times. If behavior change is coincident with each introduction, this is strong evidence the intervention caused the change.
phenotype
Observable characteristics or behaviors of an individual.
endophenotypes
Genetic mechanisms that contribute to the underlying problems causing the symptoms and difficulties experienced by people with psychological disorders.
human genome project
Ongoing scientific attempt to develop a comprehensive map of all human genes.
adoption studies
In genetics research, the study of first-degree relatives reared in different families and environments. If they share common characteristics, such as a disorder, this finding suggests that those characteristics have a genetic component.
family studies
Genetic studies that examine patterns of traits and behaviors among relatives.
genetic linkage analysis
Study that seeks to match the inheritance pattern of a disorder to that of a genetic marker. This helps researchers
establish the location of the gene responsible for the disorder.
proband
In genetics research, the individual displaying the trait or characteristic being studied.
twin studies
In genetics research, the comparison of twins with unrelated or less closely related individuals. If twins, particularly monozygotic twins who share identical genotypes, share common characteristics such as a disorder, even if they were reared in different environments, this is strong evidence of genetic
involvement in those characteristics.
association studies
Research strategies for comparing genetic markers in groups of people with and without a particular disorder.
genetic marker
Inherited characteristic for which the chromosomal location of the responsible gene is known.
cohort
Participants in each age group of a study with a cross-sectional design.
cohort effect
Observation that people of different age groups differ in their values and experiences.
cross-sectional design
Methodology to examine a characteristic by comparing individuals of different ages (contrast with longitudinal
design).
longitudinal design
Systematic study of changes in the same individual or group examined over time (contrast with cross-sectional
design).
retrospective information
Literally “the view back”; data collected by examining records or recollections of the past. It is limited by the
accuracy, validity, and thoroughness of the sources.
cross-generational effect
Limit on the generalizability of longitudinal research because the group under study may differ from others in
culture and experience.
sequential design
Combination of the cross-sectional and longitudinal designs involving repeated study of different cohorts over time.
informed consent
Ethical requirement whereby research subjects agree to participate in a study only after they receive full disclosure
about the nature of the study and their own role in it.
