PSYCH 2030 WEEK 2

Question 1

Internal Validity

Answer 1

Internal validity refers to how confident we can be that the changes observed in the dependent variable are genuinely caused by the manipulation of the independent variable, rather than by other factors.

Question 2

External Validity

Answer 2

External validity is about how much we can say the results of a study apply to other people and situations, not just the ones in the study itself.

Question 3

Testability

Answer 3

Testability is about whether we can check if an idea or hypothesis is true or false through scientific investigation.

Question 4

Confound / Confounding variable

Answer 4

something in a research study that messes up the results because its effects get mixed up with the effects of the things the study is looking at.

Question 5

Control Group

Answer 5

A control group is a bunch of people who are treated the same as the main group in a study, but they don’t get the special treatment being tested.

Question 6

Randomization

Answer 6

Randomization is a method of assigning individuals to different research groups, ensuring that each person has an equal chance of being in any group.

Question 7

Analogue Models

Answer 7

Approaches to research that use subjects who are similar to clinical clients, allowing replication of a clinical problem under controlled conditions

Question 8

Generalizability

Answer 8

The extent to which research results apply to a range of individuals not included in the study

Question 9

Statistical Significance

Answer 9

Statistical significance means that the results we see in research are probably not just because of luck; they’re likely meaningful and not random.

Question 10

Clinical Significance

Answer 10

Clinical significance means that the results of research are actually important and useful in real life, showing how they can help with real-world problems or issues.

Question 11

Effect Size

Answer 11

Effect size is a number that tells us how big a difference or relationship is in a study—helping us see if it’s important in a practical way.

Question 12

The patient uniformity myth

Answer 12

The patient uniformity myth is the mistaken belief that everyone within a group is essentially the same, disregarding the fact that individuals within the group can actually be quite different from each other.

Question 13

Epidemiology

Answer 13

Epidemiology is a research field that focuses on studying how common and widespread diseases or health-related issues are within populations.

Question 13

Correlation coefficient

Answer 13

The correlation coefficient is a number that tells us how strongly two things are related. It ranges from -1 to 1. A positive correlation (closer to 1) means as one thing goes up, the other tends to go up too. A negative correlation (closer to -1) means as one thing goes up, the other tends to go down. A correlation near 0 means there’s little to no relationship.

Question 14

Treatment outcome research

Answer 14

Studying how well different treatments work for people’s health problems

Question 15

Double-Blind Control

Answer 15

Procedure in outcome studies that prevents bias by ensuring that neither subjects nor the providers of the experimental treatment know who is receiving treatment and who is receiving placebo

Question 16

Comparative Treatment Research

Answer 16

Figuring out which treatment works best by comparing different ones to see which helps people the most.

Question 17

Single-Case Experimental Designs

Answer 17

Single-case experimental designs involve closely studying the behavior of one individual, testing the impact of an intervention, like a new therapy or strategy, to see if it causes positive changes, although the findings might not apply to others.

Question 18

Repeated measurement

Answer 18

Checking how things change over time by measuring them more than just once or twice, but at different times to see patterns.

Question 19

Variability

Answer 19

Variability refers to the extent of change or fluctuations observed in a phenomenon over a period of time.

Question 20

Trend

Answer 20

Trend refers to the direction of change in a behavior, indicating whether it is increasing or decreasing over time.

Question 21

Withdrawl Design

Answer 21

Trying out a treatment, then stopping it to see if the behavior changes back, helping figure out if the treatment really works.

Question 22

Baseline

Answer 22

The starting point or original measurement of something before any changes are made or treatments are given.

Question 23

Multiple Baseline

Answer 23

Checking if something works by trying it out at different times or in different situations, one after the other, and seeing if it helps each time.

Question 24

Phenotypes

Answer 24

The visible traits or behaviors of a person.

Question 25

Genotypes

Answer 25

The genetic makeup of a person, showing which genes they have inherited.

Question 26

Human genome project

Answer 26

The Human Genome Project is an ongoing scientific effort to create a detailed map of all human genes, aiming to understand and sequence the entire human genome.

Question 27

Endophenotypes

Answer 27

Traits or behaviors that are more internal and not as obvious.

Question 28

Family Studies

Answer 28

Researching how traits or behaviors run in families to understand if they’re influenced by genetics.

Question 29

Proband

Answer 29

a person serving as the starting point for the genetic study of a family

Question 30

Adoption Studies

Answer 30

In adoption studies, the focus is on studying first-degree relatives who are raised in different families and environments. If these relatives share common characteristics, such as a disorder, it suggests that those characteristics likely have a genetic component.

Question 31

Genetic linkage analysis

Answer 31

Matching up the patterns of a disorder with certain genes to figure out where those genes are located.

Question 32

Genetic markers

Answer 32

Traits that are linked to certain genes and help researchers find those genes.

Question 33

Association studies

Answer 33

Comparing groups of people with and without a certain disorder to see if there are any genetic markers that are more common in one group than the other.

Question 34

Cross-sectional design

Answer 34

Looking at people of different ages at the same time to see how they’re different.

Question 35

Cohorts

Answer 35

Different age groups of people in a research study.

Question 36

Cohort effect

Answer 36

People of different ages also having different experiences and values.

Question 37

Retrospective information

Answer 37

Looking back at past records or memories to get data, but it might not always be accurate.

Question 38

Longitudinal designs

Answer 38

Studying the same people or group over a long time to see how things change.

Question 39

Cross-generational effect

Answer 39

How differences between generations can affect research results.

Question 40

Informed consent

Answer 40

Making sure people know all about a research study before they agree to take part in it.

Question 41

Sequential design

Answer 41

Combination of the cross-sectional and longitudinal research methods involving repeated study of different ages over time