Lecture 3 Flashcards
A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
Requires claim is based in theory and backed up by reliable evidence
Studies have to take steps to control confounding variables
Based on engaging in this process repeatedly
Building and accumulation of replicating findings- assure finding is accurate and reliable- builds confidence and can apply findings to world
Important in abnormal psych- multiple causes, complex array of contributing factors- use theory and past findings to inform variables looking at
Have to be careful of bias- hard to update views based on personal experience- research communication gap- takes a while for findings to be practiced
See it to understand nature of child psychology
Organized evidence drive theory
WHY IS THERE SKEPTICISM ABOUT RESEARCH IN ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY?
Different theoretical views, own don’t agree with findings- ex violence and video games- some agree it inc aggression others disagree saying there is little empirical evidence connecting it to substantial violence
Difficult to generalize- ecological validity
Apa released statement- inefficient evidence linking violent video games to aggression
2- some studies show females are higher in depressive symptoms while others show different findings- suggest we din actually know- often difference in research methodology- mental hospital sample vs general pop sample
Can do meta analysis
3- evidence may be clear but many individuals dismiss findings based on own experiences
Ex many parents say experience violence as discipline as they turned out fine
4- research appearing in media is simplified and framed as sensational- doesn’t accurately display limitations and are rarely updated
Skepticism- COVID- saw research paying out in real time- conflicting research. Beginning- have to update understanding based on new evidence
Think what’s written in media is truth
Urge o be first to report- often report it without validating results
When science is ignored
Ineffective practices that are not based on scientific evidence may be used with potentially damaging effects
The difference between science and pseudoscience is:Quality of evidence, how evidence is maintained and how that evidence is presented
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience- not based on scientific approach- anexcdotes
Quality of evidence, how evidence is maintained and how that evidence is presented/ interpreted
No control group= no one to compAre to
Pseudoscience example- facilitated communication claimed it unlocked hidden communication skills but not based in evidence and doesn’t improve children’s speaking skill
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
1 Develop a hypothesis
2-Identify the sample, select measurement methods, develop research design and procedures
Step 3 Gather and analyze the data, interpret the results
1- researchers look at theory and develop question and hypotheses- answers based on experiences and past research
Multi step process is integrative have to reassess past steps based on findings
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Prevalence:all cases of disorder that occur within specific time frame- ex depression within school year
Incidence:new cases that have appeared over time, number of new children who develop depression within school year
Need both to assess info on disorders- is it increasing, decreasing
FACTORS THAT IMPACT INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE
Estimates of prevalence and incidence can vary depending on how estimates of the number of cases are made:
Single symptoms or multiple symptoms- cases defined as, depends how they assess symptoms- do you need many versus little
When/how individuals are assessed- following across time= get inc prevelance
Patterns of symptoms and/or impairment in functioning- required to show both symptoms and impaired functioning= dec prevelance
Can see variablity in these estimates- vary based on how we measure
Economic causes influence prevealnce
Refugee children- have higher preveance rates
First nasions are more at risk then Canadian peers- societal,economic and family contributors
VARIABLES OF INTEREST
Correlates- variables associated to another with no clear cause of the connection
Aggression and violence correlated with more video game playing, what cause what
Risk and protective- protect against negative outcome or inc it
Need large samples of children measured in many variables- small amount go on to develop disorder, initial risk factors associated with many outcomes, how it will affect functioning, age of disorders- family conflict may not show impact until later on in life- sleeper effect
Intervention- overtime may see change in behaviour and change in other non targeted variables
Causes- all work together and interact to influence development processes
MODERATOR AND MEDIATOR VARIABLES
IV- causing DV]moderator- this variable impacts the strength of influence the IV has on DV
Mediator- explains why IV is associated with DV
Moderating variables influence the direction or strength of the relationship of variables of interest
Have an independent effect on the existing relationship- act on relationship to change direction or strength
Example Refuse youth recently settled in canada
Chid optimism influences migratory adversity and internalizing symptoms
Low in optimism= higher internalizing symptoms with more premigratory adversity
Optimism= protective factors
Child optimism impacts the relationship between familial pre-migratory adversity and child internalizing problems
Mediating variables impact the process, mechanism, or means through which a variable produces a particular outcome
Account for some or all of relationship between two variables, often many mediators causing associating
Example Mother’s discipline- neg mood leads to inc discipline causing behavioural problems
Theoretical causal model- need longitudinal design
Interventions
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs)- critical method, randomly assign children to conditions, gold standard, reduce bias, reduce extraneous variables
Questions try to evaluate effectiveness of current treatment
Compares them- see which is most effective and what are moderators of treatment ethically- is it more effective for some vs others
Long term vs short term
Limitation- need funding to keep up with family
Ppl drop out- bias and impacts long term effect
Example
Heart to heart
Followed families of mother maltreatement and control study
Longitudinal investigation of development among maltreated and high-risk preschoolers
Randomized controlled trial of brief intervention for mothers who have perpetrated maltreatment
Randomly assigned to no intervention vs intervention
This is quasi experiment- couldn’t randomize nonmaltreatment
Reminiscing and emotion training Support parents in
Asking more open-ended questions
Being descriptive
Who was there and what they did
Objects, locations, colors, smells
Communicating feelings
Identify and explain feelings
How negative feelings were resolved
Maltreating mothers tend to engage in lower sensitive guidance while reminiscing compared with demographically matched nonmaltreating mothers (Speidel et al., 2019)
Experimental evidence for the role of improved maternal sensitive guidance in promoting children’s:
Emotion regulation (Speidel et al., 2020)
Physiological regulation (Valentino et al., 2021)
Memory (Valentino et al., 2021)
Mental health (i.e., internalizing and externalizing symptoms; Valentino et al., 2022)
TREATMENT EFFICACY & EFFECTIVENESS
Treatment Efficacy
Does a treatment work in clinical trials?
Careful control (research conditions)
Treatment Effectiveness
Does a treatment work in clinical practice?
Less control (real-world conditions)- in samples esp
DETERMINING THE VALUE OF OUR MEASURES
Standardization- applying standards or norms to technique to make it have similar results across time
Strange situation= standardized task
Creates consistent and replicable findings
Reliability and validity- how well the measure measures what we want reliability- replicibaility of results
Validity=accuracy of measure
Want both reliable and valid
Three types reliability
Internal consistency interater reliability and test retest reliability Assessing one child’s anger regulation
1- all components going into measure are aligned, all assess same thing, see it when get similar ratings for each related question
2- degree to which multiple ppl come to same conclusion using same method
3- expect that completeing it twice will result in similar results
Validity
The degree to which a measure assesses what it is designed to assess
Face validity Look at measures- is it tapping into same construct
Weakest way to show validity
Construct validity Does measure behave like it should
Does it match results of similar standardized measures
Convergent validity Construct validity sbtype
2 measures of construct that are related should be related
Discriminant validity Another subtype o construct validity
Are measures that are meant to be unrelated un related
Criterion-related validity
How well measure predicts behaviour in setting where we would expect it to, in everyday and long term
Used to inform if measures are doing what they should
REPORTING METHODS
Assess perceptions, thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and past experiences of the child, parents, and teachers
Self-report
Child provides report on symptoms, emotions
Informant-report- someone close to parent reports child’s experience
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL METHODS
Assess the relationship between physiological processes and behavior
Autonomic nervous system activity
Examples: heart rate, respiration, pupil dilation, and electrical skin conductance
Measure heart rate, breath rate, electrical impulses while child doing task
Gets at impacts on physiology
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG)
Looks at electrical activity generated by neurons and brain structures
Tracks brain waves and can compare them to others- look at differences in behaviour
