Chapter 4: Research Methods

Question 1

2 forms of validity that research studies have

Answer 1

1) internal: extent to which we can be confident that the independent variable is changing the dep. variable
2) external: generalizability

Question 2

hypothesis are ____ educated guesses

Answer 2

testable.

testability: abilities to confirm or refute a hypothesis. Dep and indep. variables must be specified in a hypothesis. Indep. variables often gets manipulated by the researcher.

Question 3

a variable that is not the indep. variable that may be affecting the dep. variable is called a _____ ___

Answer 3

confounding facotr

Question 4

confounds affect ___ validity

Answer 4

internal

Question 5

3 ways to prevent confounds and ensure internal validity

Answer 5

1) control groups
2) randomization
3) analogue models

Question 6

what are analogue models

Answer 6

creating aspects in the control group that are comparable to the phenomenon under study. ex/ making volunteers binge eat in the lab, and then assessing how guilty they feel (trying to study bulimia, even if this is in the control group)

Question 7

best solution to balance internal and external validity

Answer 7

conduct several related but different studies.

Question 8

effect size

Answer 8

size of differences seen in groups. statistic used to determine true clinical significance

Question 9

clinical vs statistical stig

Answer 9

statistical sig: mathematical calculation about the difference in groups
clinical sig: whether or not the difference was meaningful for those affected.

Question 10

social validity

Answer 10

obtaining input from the person being treated and from significant others about the important of the changes that have occurred
- if the effect of the treatment is large enough to impress those who are directly involved, the treatment effect is clinically significant.

Question 11

patient uniformity myth

Answer 11

the tendency to see all pts as one homogenous group.

Question 12

why is the pt uniformity myth harmful

Answer 12

Comparing groups according to their mean scores hides differences in individual reactions to our interventions. may result in inaccurate generalizations about disorders and their treatment.

Question 13

T/F Case study method uses scientific method

Answer 13

false. it investigates an individual who displays behavioural/physical patterns. not a group. it only relies on clinician observations and interviews (decreased in ternal validity)

Question 14

T/F correlation is experimental

Answer 14

false. does not involve the manipulation of variables. correlation does not equal causation.

Question 15

epidemiology

Answer 15

study of incidence, distribution, and consequences of a problem in a population.

Question 16

T/F epidemiological studies can result in causation

Answer 16

false. does not link causation. still a type of correlational research

Question 17

is an epidemiological study a correlational or experimental study

Answer 17

a correlational type of study.

Question 18

epidemiological studies determine clues as to why a disorder exists by tracking the ___ (onset of disorder) and ____ (number of people with the disorder)

Answer 18

epidemiological studies determine clues as to why a disorder exists by tracking the INCIDENCE (onset of disorder) and PREVALENCE (number of people with the disorder)

Question 19

ideal control group

Answer 19

nearly identical to treatment group besides the actual treatment. researcher treats both gorups the same in terms of assessment and variable manipulation.

Question 20

frusto effect.

Answer 20

a significant depression in results of control gorup after being disappointed that theyre not receiving treatment/getting bette.r Makes the treatment group look better than comparison.

Question 21

3 methods to alleviate frusto effect/ expecation effects in control groups

Answer 21

1) placebo control groups: placebo is given to control groups to make them believe they are truly receiving treatment
2) double blinded study: researcher or pt bias does not occur because the researcher and the pt does not know who received what treatment.
3) comparative treatment research: instead of using a placebo/no drug group, researchers compare treatment methods.

Question 22

allegience effect

Answer 22

if a treatment isn’t expected to work, researchers may not push for it to succeed.

Question 23

how to prevent allegience effect

Answer 23

using group blinded studies.

Question 24

process vs outcome research

Answer 24

process: “why does it work”?
outcome: +/- effects and results of the treatment. “does it work at all”?

Question 25

what is a single case experimental design

Answer 25

a systematic study of an INDIVIDUAL unger a variety of EXPERIMENTAL conditions.

Question 26

how is a single case experimental design different than a case study?

Answer 26

because the single case experimental design uses strategies to improve internal validity. case studies are observational and relies on interviews for the most part. - single case experiments are also dif bc you are manipulating treatment.

Question 27

3 methods for improving internal validity in a single case experimental design

Answer 27

1) repeated measures 2) withdrawal designs 3) multiple baselines

Question 28

what is "repeated measures" and how do they improve internal validity in a single case experimental design

Answer 28

- the behaviour in a single individual is measured several times instead of only once before and after treatment. Determines how variable a behaviour is, and if there are any trends trends allow you to see any true progressions in an individual. Treatment could have already been administered when the pts condition is imrpoving, making it look like the treatment caused the improvement.

Question 29

what are withdrawal designs and how do they improve internal validity in a single case experimental design. process?

Answer 29

- researcher tries to determine whether the indep variable is responsible for changes in behaviour by removing it and seeing if the pt returns to baseline before treatment. - must establish a baseline behaviour before treatment application and removal - then, add the indep variable - then go on "drug holiday": withdraw the treatment and asses pt condition.

Question 30

difference between a single case design and a true experiment

Answer 30

although both require manipulating an independent variable, in a single case, there is no control group

Question 31

cons to a single case design

Answer 31

ethics - if treatment is working, why remove it? - can the treatment even be removed? Ex/ CBT- what stops the person from applying those techniques during a treatment holiday?

Question 32

what are "multiple baselines" and how do they improve the internal validity in a single case experimental design

Answer 32

researcher starts treatment at dif settings, behaviours, or people. Ex/ home vs work. -ex/ first only treating anxiety at home and watching it improve, then, applying the treatment at work and seeing if the condition improves there too. If the conditions only improve at the dif locations AFTER the treatment was given in those conditions, we can thus concolcude that the treatment actually does improve the condition. pro: don't need to withdraw a treatment. you have multiple locations, and the "before treatment" in each condition acts as multiple dif baselines. You just apply the treatment in a dif context.

Question 33

Endophenotypes

Answer 33

genetic mechanisms that ultimately contribute to the underlying problems causing the symptoms and DIFFICULTIES experienced by people with psychological disorders. ex/ there is no schinophrenia gene, but there are genes that are responsible for working memory problems that affect people with this disorder.

Question 34

Proband

Answer 34

the family member with the trait singled out for study.

Question 35

if there is genetic influence to the disorder, the trait should be more profound in ____ degree relatives.

Answer 35

if there is genetic influence to the disorder, the trait should be more profound in first degree relatives.

Question 36

difficulties with family studies

Answer 36

families tend to live together and may actually just all be affected by the same environmental factor rather than a genetic complication.

Question 37

____ studies allows us to the see the effect of genetics and environment.

Answer 37

adoption studies. ex. do siblings raised in separate environments still have the same problems? probs a genetic thing then.

Question 38

what is genetic linkage analysis

Answer 38

lets us use genetic markers to see the location of "problem" genes. If a match is discovered between an inherited genetic marker and a disorder, they are probably close together on the same chromosome. This alllows us to see gene localizations of endophenotypic genes.

Question 39

con of genetic linkage analysis

Answer 39

problematic in making premature conclusions: just bc one individual has a link between a specific marker anda disorder, doesn't mean everyone else with that genetic marker has that disorder. there is an inability to replicate findings as well.

Question 40

gene association studies

Answer 40

compares genetic markers in larger groups of people with a particular disorder to people without a disorder If certain markers occurs more in ht epople with the disorder, it is assumed that markers are close to the genes involved with the disorder. - different than gene linkage analysis because linkage analysis usually occurs in just one individual.

Question 41

prospective studies

Answer 41

record changes over time as they occur. - abnormal behaviour may have developmental changes that are seen in short term studies. but changes can also happen across development.

Question 42

4 categories of preventative research

Answer 42

1) POSITIVE developmental strategies/health promotion 2) universal prevention strategies 3) selective prevention strategies 4) individual prevention strategies

Question 43

POSITIVE developmental strategies/health promotion

Answer 43

efforts to prevent the entire population, even those not at risk, from later general problems ex/ teaching an entire school system about positive coping mechanisms for stress, but not addressing specific drug use, sti issues etc.

Question 44

universal prevention strategies

Answer 44

focus on the entire population, but targets certain risk factors (ex/ behavior problems in inner city youth)

Question 45

selective prevention strategies

Answer 45

targets whole groups who are at risk (children whose parents have died)

Question 46

indicated/individual prevention strategies

Answer 46

prevention strategies for individuals who are beginning to show signs of problems.

Question 47

cross sectional designs are a type of __- study

Answer 47

correlational study. take samples of dif age groups and compare them on some characteristic

Question 48

con of cross sectional designs

Answer 48

cohort effects: confounding age and experience that may cause differences across the cohorts.

Question 49

pros and cons of longitudinal designs

Answer 49

pros: no cohort effects, all members of the study are subject to the same historical and culture events. cons: high attrition rate, takes a long time, CROSS GENERATIONAL EFFECT : trying to generalize findings to groups whose experiences are dif from those of the study participants, who were all exposed to generally the same culture.

Question 50

type of study that is a combination of longitudinal and cross sectional

Answer 50

SEQUENTIAL DESIGN. a repeated study of cohorts over time, ex/ looking at drug use in children in grade 7, 8 and 9 for two years.

Question 51

why are cultural studies important

Answer 51

because looking at only a westernized view of psychopathology produces an ethnocentric view. in cultural studies, cultural differences between groups is the independent variable. the cultural differences in attitudes towards mental health and their tolerances to psychopathological illness may differ.

Question 52

the power of a program of research

Answer 52

significant issues are often not resolved by one perfectly designed study, but rather by a series of studies that examines dif aspects of the problem -- a program of research. - complex problems and questions are answered with a variety of research designs.

Question 53

the more _____, the more confident the researcher can be about what caused the changes.

Answer 53

replication

Question 54

true informed consent requires:

Answer 54

1) competence 2) volunteerism 3) full information 4) comprehension

Question 55

ethical conduct boards are made up of:

Answer 55

2 research topic experts 1 ethics expert 1 law expert

Question 56

some experiments involve deception. what must you do in order for an experiment like this to be ethical

Answer 56

1) you must tell the pt that they might not receive a treatment. (ex/ if your study uses a placebo control group) 2) they must be debriefed afterwards about the true purpose of the experiment.

Question 57

how can children be allowed in studies?

Answer 57

1) confidentiality 2) protection from harm 3) debriefing afterwards 4) informed consent from caregiver, and from the child itself if the child is over 7 years old 5) simple and understandable language.

Question 58

how are people trying to make research a more integrative field?

Answer 58

there is a push for involvement of people with the actual disorder to be involved with planning and research to improve the relevance and treatment of the study.