chapter 4

Question 1

Steps in scientific method

Answer 1

1. Define problem and hypothesis
2. Choose and implement method
3. Collect and analyze data
4. Draw conclusions

Question 2

Hypothesis:

Answer 2

statement predicting what will happen is a study

Question 3

Null hypothesis:

Answer 3

prediction that there is no relationship between phenomena

Question 4

Variables:

Answer 4

factor that can vary (dependent or independent)

Question 5

Operationalization:

Answer 5

the way we measure and manipulate variables (ex: how they are defined for that study

Question 6

Case studies:

Answer 6

detailed history of unique individuals with a psychological disorder

Question 7

Advantage/Disadvantages of case studies

Answer 7

Advantage:
- Able to study rare problems
Disadvantages:
- Cannot be generalized to larger population
- Lacks objectivity because different researchers might notice or treat patient in different ways

Question 8

Correlational study:

Answer 8

examines the relationship between an independent and dependent variable (without variable manipulation)

Question 9

Continuous:

Answer 9

two or more continuous variables measured

Question 10

Group Comparison:

Answer 10

two or more groups compared on a variable

Question 11

Cross sectional:

Answer 11

participants assessed at one point in time

Question 12

Statistical significance:

Answer 12

• Index of how likely a result is due to chance
• p<.05 is the goal which means that the probability is less than 5/100 that the result occurred by chance

Question 13

Longitudinal:

Answer 13

participants assessed more than once over time

Question 14

Third variable problem:

Answer 14

an unmeasured third variable that is associated with independent and dependent variables that may be affecting the results

Question 15

Random sample:

Answer 15

every person in population has equal chance of being selected

Question 15

Sample:

Answer 15

group of people taken from population we want to study

Question 16

Representative Sample:

Answer 16

highly similar or representative of population we are studying

Question 17

Comparison Group:

Answer 17

participants should match the treatment group in every variable except the one being tested for

Question 18

Advantages/disadvantages of correlational research

Answer 18

Advantages:
- focus on real world situations not lab ones
- Longitudinal designs determine differences between groups before event occurs
- Ensures differences cause event and event does not cause differences
- Good external validity
Disadvantages:
- Longitudinal studies are expensive and time consuming
- Cannot infer causation
- Third variable problem

Question 19

Epidemiological studies:

Answer 19

a study of frequency and distribution of a disorder

Question 20

Prevalence rate:

Answer 20

the proportion of the population that has the disorder at a given point or time

Question 21

Incidence rates:

Answer 21

Number of new cases in a disorder

Question 22

Risk factors:

Answer 22

conditions with a higher risk of a disorder

Question 23

Advantages/disadvantages of epidemiological research

Answer 23

Advantages:
- Provide info for who’s at highest risk and we can use this to test hypotheses about why they are at higher risks
Disadvantages:
- Cannot establish causation
- Third variable problem

Question 24

Human laboratory studies:

Answer 24

Expose participants to an event in a lab and then determine its impact

Question 25

Internal validity:

Answer 25

changes in the DV can be confidently attributed to manipulation of the IV

Question 26

Experimental group:

Answer 26

the group that receives the independent variable

Question 27

Control group:

Answer 27

the group that does not receive the independent variable

Question 28

Random assignment:

Answer 28

all participants have an equal chance of being in the experimental or the control group

Question 29

Demand characteristics:

Answer 29

participants guess the study’s purpose and change their behavior - Solutions: Can use filler measures, Cover story (basically deception), Double-blind experiments

Question 30

Advantages/disadvantages of laboratory research

Answer 30

Advantages - Higher control - Random assignment Disadvantages - External validity - Ethical limitations

Question 31

Therapy outcome studies:

Answer 31

experimental studies designed to test whether a specific therapy, a psychological therapy, or a biological therapy reduces psychopathology in individuals who receive it

Question 32

Simple control group:

Answer 32

do not receive treatment but are still tracked

Question 33

Waitlist control group:

Answer 33

- they receive treatment after the experimental group - Come to a study as a control group, and when the experiment is over they become the experimental group and receive treatment

Question 34

Placebo control group:

Answer 34

receive an inactive treatment (most commonly used to test effectiveness of drugs)

Question 35

Advantages/disadvantages of therapy outcome studies

Answer 35

Advantages: - Provide help to people in distress Disadvantages: - Ethical considerations for control group - Which aspect of the therapy worked? - Balancing patient’s needs with standardized treatment - External validity

Question 36

Single-case experimental design:

Answer 36

one or few individuals are studied intensively

Question 37

ABAB design:

Answer 37

treatment introduced, withdrawn, and then reinstated

Question 38

Multiple baseline design:

Answer 38

- give treatment to the same individual but in different settings or at different points in time - Give treatment to different individuals at different points in time

Question 39

Advantages/disadvantages of single-case experimental design

Answer 39

Advantages: more intensive assessment of participants Disadvantages: generalizability is limited and cannot test all hypotheses

Question 40

Genetic studies:

Answer 40

identify genetic factors associated with psychopathology/ the degree to which genes play a role in a disorder

Question 41

Family history studies:

Answer 41

identify people who have disorder, identify control group, trace the family tree

Question 42

Twin studies:

Answer 42

compare rates of a disorder among monozygotic and dizygotic twins, and determine concordance rate

Question 43

Adoption studies:

Answer 43

identify people with a disorder who were adopted shortly after birth, determine the rates of a disorder among biological relatives and adoptive relatives

Question 44

Molecular genetic studies:

Answer 44

comparing DNA of people who have a disorder with a sample who do not to find a genetic characteristic or marker that might cause this disorder

Question 45

Concordance rate:

Answer 45

the probability that both twins will have a disorder

Question 46

Linkage analysis:

Answer 46

identify other characteristics that co-occur with the disorder and have known genetic markers

Question 47

Cross-cultural studies

Answer 47

- Examines similarities and differences of psychopathology between cultures - Challenges: variation in the meaning of concepts and theories, translating assessment tools across cultures, language barriers

Question 48

Meta Analysis:

Answer 48

Statistical technique to summarize results across several studies Steps: 1. Literature search 2. Transform results of each study into common statistic so that tey can be compared 3. Examine average effect size across studies

Question 49

advantages/disadvantages of meta analysis

Answer 49

Advantages: - Provides more power to find out significant effects Disadvantages: - Problems with methodology - File drawer effect: Studies that do not support the hypothesis they are designed to test are less likely to get published