research methods Flashcards
what is a longitudinal study?
a research method that looks at the same group of participants but over a certain period of time.
why might clinical psychologists use a longitudinal study?
in order to see whether the severity of an individuals symptoms have changed over time, and see how an individual with a disorder progresses after being exposed to treatments.
what is an example of a longitudinal study in clinical psychology?
Hankin, looked at gender differences in how depression emerges in young people from pre-adolescence to young adulthood, over a 10 year period and conducting 5 structured interviews during that time.
what are some strengths of a longitudinal study?
- rules out the chance of individual differences as you are studying the same people over time
- this also enables u to make more accurate and valid assumptions and establish cause and effect due to the only changing factor is the age.
what are some weaknesses of longitudinal studies?
- they take a long time and an require more researchers and more investment into the research.
- due to this length of time, by the time all the research has been gathered it may be less valid due to it being out dated.
- there are some ethical issues with these studies as they can be fairly intrusive - especially when working with someone who has mental health problems, they may feel obliged to continue until the end.
what is a cross-sectional study?
this is a research method which takes a “snapshot” of population and area. - it consists of a large sample containing a variety of people from the target population.
how could a cross-sectional study be used in clinical psychology?
it allows researchers to take see the implications of different factors.
what is an example of a cross-sectional study in clinical psychology?
Wijesundera et al (2014) - looked to find a relationship between tobacco and anti-psychotic medication. they took a cross-section of males and femaalr
