Research Methods Flashcards
Educated guess or statement to be tested by research.
hypothesis
Plan of experimentation used to test a hypothesis.
research design
In an experimental study, the phenomenon that is measured and expected to be influenced (compare with independent variable).
dependent variable
Phenomenon manipulated by the experimenter in a study and expected to influence the dependent variable.
independent variable
Extent to which the results of a study can be attributed to the independent variable after confounding alternative explanations have been ruled out.
internal validity
Extent to which research findings generalize, or apply, to people and settings not involved in the study.
external validity
Ability of a hypothesis, for example, to be subjected to scientific scrutiny and to be accepted or rejected, a necessary condition for the hypothesis to be useful.
testability
Any factor occurring in a study that makes the results uninterpretable because its effects cannot be separated from those of the variables being studied.
confound
Variable in a research study that was not part of the intended design and that may contribute to changes in the dependent variable.
confounding variable
Group of individuals in a study who are similar to the experimental subjects in every way but are not exposed to the treatment received by the experimental group. Their presence allows for a comparison of the differential effects of the treatment.
control group
Method for placing individuals into research groups that assures each an equal chance of being assigned to any group, thus eliminating any systematic differences across groups.
randomization
Approach to research that employs subjects who are similar to clinical clients, allowing replication of a clinical problem under controlled conditions.
analogue models
Extent to which research results apply to a range of individuals not included in the study.
generalizability
Probability that obtaining the observed research findings merely by chance is small.
statistical significance
Degree to which research findings have useful and meaningful applications to real problems.
clinical significance
Statistical measure that shows the amount of difference among the members of a group in a clinical study.
effect size
Tendency to consider all members of a category as more similar than they are, ignoring their individual differences.
patient uniformity myth
Research procedure in which a single person or small group is studied in detail. The method does not allow conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships, and findings can be generalized only with great caution (contrast with single-case experimental design).
case study method
Degree to which two variables are associated. In a positive correlation, the two variables increase or decrease together. In a negative correlation, one variable decreases as the other increases.
correlation
Association between two variables in which one increases as the other increases.
positive correlation
Computed statistic reflecting the strength and direction of any association between two variables. It can range from 21.00 through 0.00 (indicating no association) to 11.00, with the absolute value indicating the strength and the sign reflecting the direction.
correlation coefficient
Association between two variables in which one increases as the other decreases.
negative correlation
Possibility that when two variables, A and B, are correlated variable A causes variable B or variable B causes variable A.
directionality
Psychopathology research method examining the prevalence, distribution, and consequences of disorders in populations.
epidemiology
Research method that can establish causation by manipulating the variables in question and controlling for alternative explanations of any observed effects.
experiment
Behavior change resulting from the person’s expectation of change rather than from the experimental manipulation itself.
placebo effect
In an outcome experiment, a control group that does not receive the experimental manipulation but is given a similar procedure with an identical expectation of change, allowing the researcher to assess any placebo effect.
placebo control groups
Procedure in outcome studies that prevents bias by ensuring that neither the subjects nor the providers of the experimental treatment know who is receiving treatment and who is receiving placebo.
double-blind control
Outcome research that contrasts two or more treatment methods to determine which is most effective.
comparative treatment research
Research tactic in which an independent variable is manipulated for a single individual, allowing cause-and-effect conclusions but with limited generalizability (contrast with case study method).
single-case experimental designs
When responses are measured on more than two occasions (not just before and after intervention) to assess trends.
repeated measurement
Degree of change in a phenomenon over time.
variability
Direction of change of a behavior or behaviors (for example, increasing or decreasing).
trend
Degree of behavior change with different interventions (for example, high or low).
level
Removing a treatment to note whether it has been effective. In singlecase experimental designs, a behavior is measured (baseline), an independent variable is introduced (intervention), and then the intervention is withdrawn. Because the behavior continues to be measured throughout (repeated measurement), any effects of the intervention can be noted. Also called reversal design.
withdrawal design
Measured rate of a behavior before introduction of an intervention that allows comparison and assessment of the effects of the intervention.
baseline
Single-case experimental design in which measures are taken on two or more behaviors or on a single behavior in two or more situations. A particular intervention is introduced for each at different times. If behavior change is coincident with each introduction, this is strong evidence the intervention caused the change.
multiple baseline
Observable characteristics or behaviors of an individual.
phenotypes
Specific genetic makeup of an individual.
genotypes
Ongoing scientific attempt to develop a comprehensive map of all human genes.
human genome project
Genetic mechanisms that contribute to the underlying problems causing the symptoms and difficulties experienced by people with psychological disorders.
endophenotypes
Genetic studies that examine patterns of traits and behaviors among relatives.
family studies
In genetics research, the individual displaying the trait or characteristic being studied.
proband
In genetics research, the study of first-degree relatives reared in different families and environments. If they share common characteristics, such as a disorder, this finding suggests that those characteristics have a genetic component.
adoption studies
In genetics research, the comparison of twins with unrelated or less closely related individuals. If twins, particularly monozygotic twins who share identical genotypes, share common characteristics such as a disorder, even if they were reared in different environments, this is strong evidence of genetic involvement in those characteristics.
twin studies
Study that seeks to match the inheritance pattern of a disorder to that of a genetic marker. This helps researchers establish the location of the gene responsible for the disorder.
genetic linkage analysis
Inherited characteristic for which the chromosomal location of the responsible gene is known.
genetic markers
Research strategies for comparing genetic markers in groups of people with and without a particular disorder.
association studies
Methodology to examine a characteristic by comparing individuals of different ages (contrast with longitudinal design).
cross-sectional design
Participants in each age group of a study with a cross-sectional design.
cohorts
Observation that people of different age groups differ in their values and experiences.
cohort effect
Literally “the view back”; data collected by examining records or recollections of the past. It is limited by the accuracy, validity, and thoroughness of the sources.
retrospective information
Systematic study of changes in the same individual or group examined over time (contrast with cross-sectional design).
longitudinal designs
Limit on the generalizability of longitudinal research because the group under study may differ from others in culture and experience.
cross-generational effect
Combination of the crosssectional and longitudinal designs involving repeated study of different cohorts over time.
sequential design
Ethical requirement whereby research subjects agree to participate in a study only after they receive full disclosure about the nature of the study and their own role in it.
informed consent
