Clinical Psychology: Efficacy vs. Effectiveness Research

Question 1

Experts who support _________ outcome research prefer studies involving clinical trials, while those who prefer __________ outcome research focus on studies that are correlational or quasi-experimental in nature.

Answer 1

• Efficacy
• Effectiveness

Question 2

Seligman (1995) supports ___________ studies, stating that _________ studies “omit too many crucial elements of what is actually done in the field,” (i.e., the generalizability of the results is limited).

Answer 2

• Effectiveness
• Efficacy

Question 3

Jacobson and Christensen (1996) propose that both types of studies are useful. They say __________ studies are most useful for establishing whether or not a treatment has an effect, while __________ studies are best for assessing clinical utility.

Answer 3

• Efficacy
• Effectiveness