Research Methods - Chapter 4 Content

Question 1

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 1

Educated guess or statement to be tested by research design

Question 2

What are the two variables involved in research?

Answer 2

Dependent (Y) is the aspects you want to measure and independent (X) is the influence on their behaviour.

Question 3

Explain the two forms of validity.

Answer 3

Internal is the extent that we can say the independent is causing the dependent to change (improve with random assignment, control groups and analogue studies). External is describing how well the results are relating to things outside the study.

Question 4

What is the concept of testability?

Answer 4

Ability to confirm or refute the hypothesis.

Question 5

What is the confounding variable?

Answer 5

Any factors that makes the results uninterpretable because its effects cannot be separated from those of the variables being studied.

Question 6

Describe what a control group is.

Answer 6

They are a group of participants that are the same as the people in the experiment but they are not exposed to the treatment received by the experimental group. allowing comparison to happen

Question 7

What is randomization?

Answer 7

The method of choosing who is in an experimental group and that everyone has an equal chance. Also is used in randomized controlled trails.

Question 8

What is an analogue model?

Answer 8

This approach to research is using subjects who are similar to clinical clients and allows the replication of a clinical problem under controlled conditions to occur.

Question 9

What is generalizability?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

What is the difference between statistical and clinical significance?

Answer 10

Statistical is a mathematical calculation about the difference between groups (effect size) whereas clinical is describing whether the differences are meaningful.

Question 11

Describe what the patient uniformity myth is.

Answer 11

This is talking about the tendency to consider all members of a category as more similar, ignoring their individual differences. This can lead to inaccurate generalizations about disorders and treatments needed.

Question 12

What are the case study methods?

Answer 12

This is when a single person is studied in detail. No conclusions about cause and effect and does not use the scientific method.

Question 13

Explain what research by correlation entails.

Answer 13

A correlational study is describing the statistical relationship between 2 variables but does not mean that the variables cause one another.

Question 14

Explain the difference between a positive and negative correlation.

Answer 14

A positive is an association between two variables in which one increases at the other increases as well. Where negative is the opposite. The coefficient “r” is what describes this relationship and ranges from 1 to -1

Question 15

What is epidemiological research?

Answer 15

This refers to examining the prevalence (# of people with a disorder at one time), distribution, and consequences of disorders in the population. They will find the incidence (estimated # of new cases during a specific time period).

Question 16

What is the placebo effect?

Answer 16

It is a change in behaviour based on their own expectations of the treatment.

Question 17

What is double-blind control?

Answer 17

Both the researcher and the participant are “blind” to eliminate the possibility that bias could occur.

Question 18

Describe what comparative treatment research is.

Answer 18

Contrasting treatments to determine which is the most effective.

Question 19

What is single-case experimental design?

Answer 19

This is where an independent variable can be manipulated for one person, allowing cause and effect conclusions to be made, but limited generalizability (contrast with case study)

Question 20

What is repeated measurement?

Answer 20

When behaviour is measured before and after the variable is manipulated.

Question 21

Explain what a withdrawal design is.

Answer 21

This is when you remove a treatment to see if it was actually being effective and changing behaviour. A behaviour (baseline) is measured, then an independent variable is introduced (intervention) and then withdrawn.

Question 22

What are endophenotypes?

Answer 22

Genetic mechanisms contribute to causing symptoms and difficulties in people experiencing psychological disorders.

Question 23

What are family studies?

Answer 23

Where researchers examine a behavioural pattern in a family and the person with the trait for the study is the proband.

Question 24

What is genetic linkage analysis?

Answer 24

Seeking the match in the inheritance of a disorder to that of a genetic marker (inherited characteristic where the location of the chromosome is known).

Question 25

Explain how association studies also use genetic markers.

Answer 25

They compare markers in groups of people with and without the particle disorder being studied.

Question 26

What is a cross-sectional design?

Answer 26

Where researchers take a cross-section of a population across different age groups and compare them on some characteristics. Participants are in cohorts but this can cause a cohort effect that explains that people all have different experiences at different ages and times in their life, hard to control the groups. Doing a snapshot in time to compare with other studies.

Question 27

What is a longitudinal design?

Answer 27

A systemic study of changes in the same individual over time. But the cross-generational effect can occur because groups can have experiences that no one else will so cannot compare.

Question 28

What is the design that combines longitudinal and cross-sectional?

Answer 28

Sequential is involving studying repeatedly different cohorts over time.

Question 29

What is the difference between a basic and an applied hypothesis?

Answer 29

Basic is to understand a phenomenan and applied is focusing on applying the research.

Question 30

What are the 3 kinds of bias in selecting a sample?

Answer 30

Experimenter, self-selection (usually study involves people who are interested in the research), and attrition (systematic differences between study groups in the number and the way participants are lost from a study).

Question 31

What are factors that can limit the correlation?

Answer 31

Homogenous groups (groups of people with multiple similarities), non-linear relationships (where the + and - can rule each other out to = 0), unreliable measuring tools, ceiling (everyone does well) and floor (everyone does badly) effect

Question 32

What is the 3rd variable problem with correlation research?

Answer 32

A third variable can explain both variables independently or it can explain how the 2 variables in the study relate.

Question 33

Explain what an experimental design is.

Answer 33

This kind of study involves manipulating the independent variable to prove some sort of causality. It can also use a control group for things such as the placebo effect.

Question 34

What are some strengths and weaknesses of experimental research?

Answer 34

It can allow for conclusions about causality to be made but more internal validity decreases the amount of external.