Clinical Research

Question 1

Pros of case studies

Answer 1

unique phenomena (it allows you to look at a rare phenomena); used to generate hypotheses-

Question 2

Cons of case studies

Answer 2

Internal validity threats (e.g., lack of control- no systematic way to implement your control setting; no comparison group to compare) and external validity threats (e.g., hard to generalize it to the whole population)

Question 3

Single Case Studies/Design

Answer 3

(A-B), or (ABAB):

Question 4

Pros of single case

Answer 4

More internal control than case studies (e.g., standardized measure; systematic way you can ) and operationalized variables- defining what your variables are

Question 5

Cons of single case

Answer 5

External validity threats (e.g., ); is removing a treatment ethical?

Question 6

Correlational Designs

Answer 6

bc you’re not introducing any controls- it has the most vulnerability towards internal validity

Question 7

Pros of correlational designs

Answer 7

Good external validity; descriptive; and generate hypothesis based on conceptual relationships

Question 8

Cons of correlational designs

Answer 8

Internal validity threats (e.g., no random assignment or manipulation) and no causality

Question 9

Pros of Experimental Design

Answer 9

random assignment!!!!!!!!!!

manipulation or control of variables

Question 10

Cons of Experimental design

Answer 10

external validity threats (e.g., )

Question 11

Threats to internal validity:

Answer 11

1. history
2. repeated testing-
3. statistical regression
4. selection bias

Question 12

Threats to external validity

Answer 12

1. sample characteristics
2. stimulus characteristics
3. reactivity

Question 13

Sample characteristics

Answer 13

characteristics of research participants do not maponto population

E.g. ACT + ERP study with only PSYC 101 students (e.g., convenient sample- they are not going to reflect typical population with anxiety disorder, or OCD)

Question 14

Stimulus characteristics

Answer 14

features of the study constrain generalizability:

E.g., highly trained therapists in RCT (often have clinicians- they are trained very well but in the real world, that is not the case because it is not implemented as well as highly trained therapists in RCT)

Question 15

Reactivity

Answer 15

different response because know they are in a study/assessment

E.g., participants always complete H.W. for a DBT study

Question 16

Statistical significance

Answer 16

difference scores (pre/post) on a measure are larger than chance; the difference between two groups’ scores on a measure is greater than chance

<5% chance the difference score would occur due to random error (e.g., internal/external validity threats)

Question 17

Clinical significance

Answer 17

Did the intervention have a meaningful impact on function?

Question 18

True/False: if something is statistically significant, it also means that it is clinically significant.

Answer 18

F

Question 19

Reliable Change Index

Answer 19

did post-score move within 2 SD’s of mean score for non-distressed sample?

Question 20

Psychotherapy historically guided by ___________

Answer 20

clinical experience and basic research

Question 21

EBP originally a _______________ model

Answer 21

medical- very rigid, very black-or-white

Question 22

Three factors in EBP (empirically based practice)

Answer 22

three factors: 1. clinical expertise 2. best research evidence 3. patient values and preferences

EBP leads to clinical practice guidelines

= somehow got translated to being EST (empirically supported treatment)

Question 23

Publication bias

Answer 23

file-drawer problem;

highlighting less prominent, but less signficant results (misleading results) and withholding all studies that were not significant and reworking hypothesis

Question 24

Challenges of EBP: presentation of statistical results

Answer 24

effect size (Bradley talked about this) 
empirically supported (vs. unsupported)

Question 25

Challenges of EBP: proposed statistics

Answer 25

i. Percent recovered/percent improved (important what the denominator is- more liberal is when you look at percent recovered/people who completed the trial); e.g., starting with 100 participants; only 20 people completed and only 10 people got better- 10/20 = 50% sounds better) ii. Residual post-treatment symptomotology: how are people functioning AFTER the treatment (they need to follow up with long-term treatement)

Question 26

Western, Bradley article

Answer 26

1. mimicking the medical model 2. pitfalls of comparing to "no-treatment" or "intent-to-fail" treatments 3. Exclusion criteria

Question 27

Example of case studies

Answer 27

using ERP with dissociative identify disorder; CBT with child-onset schizophrenia (if it is rare then case studies)

Question 28

Multiple baseline

Answer 28

treatment applied at different locations; time periods

Question 29

Examples of correlational studies

Answer 29

Comparing the achievement test scores of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder who received early intervention to individuals with ASD who did not receive early intervention

Question 30

Threats to internal validity: history

Answer 30

influence of other events (systematic influencing variable that is causing the change) e.g. NCAA championship game: if we wnated to see depression medication: all groups seem to improve- so is that due to the medication or outside

Question 31

Threats to internal validity: Repeated testing

Answer 31

familiarity and memory for responses e.g., achievement testing

Question 32

Threats to internal validity: statistical regression

Answer 32

extreme scores move towards the mean; this is the concept that if you have extreme scores, the scores are going to be less extreme b/c they tend towards to average; if anything it’s going to come down or stay the same e.g., post-tx testing of individuals with high anxiety

Question 33

Threats to internal validity: selection bias

Answer 33

recruiting students in 8 am class for tx group and in 2 pm class for control group

Question 34

Turner

Answer 34

Focused on publication bias | Presenting information in a descriptive mannner

Question 35

Efficacy is to _______________ as effectiveness is to _________________.

Answer 35

Internal validity; external validity

Question 36

Case studies take which of the following approaches to studying clinical phenomena?

Answer 36

Idiographic

Question 37

When participants for a treatment outcome study are selected based on strict criteria and are randomly assigned to a control or treatment group they are likely participating in what kind of study?

Answer 37

Efficacy

Question 38

Psychotherapy outcome studies that are interested in how well they work in the "real-world" are examining the therapy's ______________.

Answer 38

Effectiveness

Question 39

The Turner et al. study highlighted that the studies most likely to be published were ______________________.

Answer 39

the ones with significant and positive findings.

Question 40

The authors contend that a pharmaceutical model for psychological treatment is not appropriate because many "treatments" are discovered _______________.

Answer 40

from clinical practice

Question 41

In his TED Talk, Goldacre suggested that some scientists (not mass media) "rig" their data by _________________________.

Answer 41

giving extremely high or low doses of a treatment to participants in certain conditions.

Question 42

EST studies make the assumption that a syndrome is discrete and can be treated via one modality. What is problematic with this assumption?

Answer 42

Most disorders co-occur/interact with symptoms of other disorders.

Question 43

What is the purpose of a treatment outcome study?

Answer 43

is to determine how well their therapies work

Question 44

What is the purpose of an analogue design?

Answer 44

When clinical psychologists seek to study clinical populations or situations but are unable to access them adequately, they may conduct a study with an analogue design.

Question 45

Efficacy

Answer 45

how well it works in a lab; outcome for treated individuals is compared via clinical trial with outcome for individuals who receive alternate or no treatment

Question 46

Participants in efficacy research

Answer 46

Participants are often selected on the basis of meeting strict (e.g., diagnostic) criteria and are randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group

Question 47

Effectiveness

Answer 47

how well it works “in the real world,” or how well it translates from the lab to the clinics, agencies, hospitals, private practices, and other settings where clinical psychologists conduct therapy