Chapter 4: Research Methods in Clinical Psychology Flashcards
What constitues a scientific attitude?
you need healthy skepticism and humility
Why are skepticism and humility important?
to keep an experiment unbiased and to have accurate results
What are the advantages and limitations of a case study?
they provide descriptions of unique or extreme phenomena and provides disconfirming information and generates testable hypothesis/ they cannot develop general principles, lead to cause-effect conclusions, and demonstrate correlation
Why are correlational methods used?
to determine the degree to which variable x is related to variable y
What are the limitations of correlational methods?
they cannot determine directionality or causality when A and B are related
What type of method eliminates the third problem variable? How?
experimental methods because it can determine causality and directionality
What are the components of the experimental method?
there is the experimental hypothesis ( your prediction), independent variable (variable manipulated by the study), dependent variable (outcome, what you expect to change), and random assignment
Researchers on a college campus conduct an epidemiological study regarding criminal activity.They interview students about their personal histories of criminal activity,and the students underestimate the amount of criminal activity in which they have participated.This inaccuracy is probably due to
A) retrospective reporting.
B) social desirability.
C) either of the above
D) neither of the above
C) either of the above
The Pearson product-moment coefficient ranges from
A) 0 to 1.
B) -1 to 1.
C) 0 to 100.
D) -100 to 100.
B) -1 to 1.
Researchers conduct a correlational study and find that as the quality of the client-therapist relationship increases,so does the quality of the therapy outcome.The r statistic that would most likely represent this finding is
A) r < .05.
B) r = -.70.
C) r = .70.
D) r = -.05.
C) r = .70.
Unsystematic observation
A) has no value in the scientific process.
B) is synonymous with naturalistic observation.
C) is helpful in developing testable hypotheses.
D) is limited to areas of psychology other than clinical.
C) is helpful in developing testable hypotheses.
The lifetime prevalence rate of schizophrenia is 1%,suggesting that
A) a member of the general population has a 1 in 100 chance of developing this disorder in his/her lifetime.
B) a member of the general population has a 1 in 100 chance of developing this disorder in the next 12 months.
C) if a member of the population is diagnosed with schizophrenia, he/she has a 1 in 100 chance of retaining the diagnosis for the remainder of his/her lifetime.
D) currently, 1 of every 100 members of the general population has this disorder.
A) a member of the general population has a 1 in 100 chance of developing this disorder in his/her lifetime.
A study that aims to measure the number of people in a particular city who are diagnosable with generalized anxiety disorder is an example of
A) the case study method.
B) multivariate research.
C) epidemiological research.
D) none of the above
C) epidemiological research.
In scientific terms,the best explanations for human behavior are those
A) that offer a clear opportunity for disproof.
B) that are most complex.
C) that are based upon cross-sectional research.
D) that are based upon commonly held beliefs.
A) that offer a clear opportunity for disproof.
Researchers conducting an epidemiological study are concerned about the influence of social desirability factors.In other words,the researchers are concerned that
A) the editors of the journal where they hope to publish their results are biased toward “feel-good” articles.
B) they will be unable to communicate their hypotheses to participants.
C) participants will tend to withhold embarrassing information and report information that places them in a favorable light.
D) they will not be able to sample as many segments of society as they would like.
C) participants will tend to withhold embarrassing information and report information that places them in a favorable light.
According to recent epidemiological data,women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with
A) mood disorders and anxiety disorders.
B) mood disorders, but not anxiety disorders.
C) anxiety disorders, but not mood disorders.
D) neither mood disorders nor anxiety disorders.
A) mood disorders and anxiety disorders.
Case studies have proven useful for
A) disconfirming universally known or accepted information.
B) generating testable hypotheses.
C) describing unusual phenomena or novel treatments.
D) all of the above
D) all of the above
What is true of risk factors,in the context of epidemiological studies?
A) If a person possesses a risk factor, it’s certain that he or she will develop the disease or disorder at some point.
B) Identification of risk factors can be useful to target people for assessment and treatment.
C) Both of the above are true.
D) Neither of the above is true.
B) Identification of risk factors can be useful to target people for assessment and treatment.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the relationship between theory and research in clinical psychology?
A) Theory influences research methods.
B) Research outcome influences theory.
C) Theory and research each progress without influence from the other.
D) Theory and research influence each other.
D) Theory and research influence each other.
Which of the following is an advantage of naturalistic observation over controlled observation?
A) less artificiality
B) greater ability of the researcher to manipulate variables
C) greater internal validity
D) greater compliance with the APA ethical code
A) less artificiality
A psychologist notices that one client tends to arrive late for appointments if the client discussed emotionally difficult material during the previous session.The term for this research method is
A) unsystematic observation.
B) controlled observation.
C) intuitive analysis.
D) naturalistic observation.
A) unsystematic observation.
The __________ research method involves the intensive study of a particular client or patient who is receiving treatment.
A) analytic
B) case study
C) unsystematic observation
D) controlled observation
B) case study
Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of the case study method?
A) It is hard to detect or control all important variables acting in a given case.
B) Data or conclusions from an individual case may not apply to people in general.
C) Case studies do not allow us to draw conclusions about cause and effect.
D) Case studies are unethical because they involve the disclosure of confidential information.
D) Case studies are unethical because they involve the disclosure of confidential information.
Epidemiological researchers who are trying to measure the number of 25-year-olds who are depressed should ideally ask
A) people who are 25 at the time to report on their current symptoms.
B) people who are 26 at the time to report on symptoms from 1 year ago.
C) people who are 30 at the time to report on symptoms from 5 years ago.
D) an equal number from each of the above groups.
A) people who are 25 at the time to report on their current symptoms.
__________ refers to the rate of new cases of illness that develop within a given period of time,while __________ refers to the overall rate of cases (old or new)within a given period of time.
A) Incidence; distribution
B) Incidence; prevalence
C) Prevalence; incidence
D) Distribution; incidence
B) Incidence; prevalence
Over the course of several weeks,a psychologist visits a 4ᵗʰ grade classroom at various points during each day to determine whether hyperactive behavior is more prevalent at particular times of day.This research method is best described as
A) naturalistic observation.
B) unsystematic observation.
C) the ABAB procedure.
D) controlled observation.
A) naturalistic observation.
