Exam 1: Big Questions

Question 1

What is research?

Answer 1

Process of systematic inquiry

Scientific method
ongoing process

Question 2

Clinical-Investigator

Answer 2

Clinical-investigator (or researcher) refers to an individual who primarily provides clinical services, but is also engaged in research
◦ First-hand knowledge of gaps in treatment, client needs, etc. ◦ Important for translational research (from basic to applied)

Question 3

Parallels between researchers and clinicians

Answer 3

objectivity 
organization
observational ability
data analysis
data gathering
current literature

Question 4

Evidence-Based Practice

Answer 4

Recognize and address the needs, abilities, values … of individuals and families and integrate those factors along with best current research evidence and their clinical expertise in making clinical decisions

Evaluate the efficacy… of clinical protocols for prevention, treatment, and enhancement using criteria recognized in the evidence-based practice literature

Evaluate the quality of evidence appearing in … journal articles, textbooks, continuing education offerings, newsletters, advertising, and Web- based products, prior to incorporating such evidence into clinical decision making

Question 5

Belief bias

Answer 5

The strength of an argument altered by how believable the conclusion is

ex: All professors are mortal
All sadists are mortal
Therefore, all professors are sadists

Question 6

Confirmation bias

Answer 6

Tendency to search for/remember information that confirms your preconceptions

Question 7

Experimenter’s bias

Answer 7

Tendency for experimenters to believe, certify, and publish data that agree with their expectations for the outcome of an experiment, and to disbelieve, discard, or downgrade the corresponding weightings for data that appear to conflict

Question 8

Conjunction Fallacy

Answer 8

Linda is 31 years old, single, outspoken, and very bright. She majored in philosophy. As a student, she was deeply concerned with issues of discrimination and social justice, and also participated in anti-nuclear demonstrations.
Which is more probable?
A) Linda is a bank teller
B) Linda is a bank teller and is active in the feminist movement.

less is more

Question 9

Availability Heuristic

Answer 9

Tendency to overestimate the probability of events that are more available in memory (e.g., recent, unusual, emotionally charged)

◦ Accidents
◦ Lottery winning

Question 10

Gambler’s fallacy

Answer 10

Imagine I toss a coin four times.
The first three times it turns up heads.
What is the probability that the next toss will turn up heads?

Still 50%
Each flip is an independent event (we’ll return to this later in the semester)
◦ Why do you think this is called the gambler’s fallacy?
◦ This also affects how people perceive “randomness” in your experiment (we’ll return to this later, too)

Question 11

Introspection Illusion

e.g., Nisbett & Wilson (1977), Psych Review

Answer 11

People in a department store were asked to evaluate different clothing items placed in a line. People chose the item on the right four times as often as the one furthest left, no matter which object was on the right (a common finding called the position effect).

Customers reported that their choices were based on differing fabric quality, etc. When asked if the position was a possibility, “virtually all subjects denied it, usually with a worried glance at the interviewer suggesting they felt that they…were dealing with a madman.”

People have a limited ability to give an unbiased answer or understand why they choose/do what they do

Question 12

Why should you think BIG?

Answer 12

You want to impact society
You want your research funded
◦ NSF: Broader Impact (advancing society) & Intellectual Merit (advancing science) ◦ NIH: Significance & Innovation
You want to publish
◦JSLHR: Reviewers evaluate the “Overall clinical or theoretical significance of the work”
You want to graduate

Question 13

National Academy of Sciences

Answer 13

Mission statement (nasonline.org):
“The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, non-profit society of distinguished scholars. Established by an Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the NAS is charged with providing ... independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.”

Conduct literature reviews, meta- analyses, public workshops to address the statement of task

Question 14

Google Scholar

Answer 14

Boolean
◦ AND (default), OR, - (minus sign to omit a word/phrase)
Quotes to search for an “exact phrase” Asterisk
◦ Wildcard: “speech * sciences” would also return “speech and hearing sciences” Parentheses
◦ (hearing OR listening) AND effort
Search by author
◦ author: “s e kuchinsky” or author:“stefanie kuchinsky”
◦ Advanced search also allows you to limit the date, journal, etc.
Cited-by
◦ Then search within

Question 15

Scientific Method

Answer 15

1. define a problem
2. develop a hypothesis to be tested
3. development of a procedure to test the hypothesis
4. collection of data
5. analysis of data
6. support or rejection of the hypothesis