RESEARCH IN ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

Question 1

is the systematic search for facts through the use of careful observations and investigations

Answer 1

Research

Question 2

Clinical researchers face certain challenges that make their work very difficult:

Answer 2

Measuring unconscious motives
Assessing private thoughts
Monitoring mood changes
Calculating human potential

Question 3

The case study:

Answer 3

• Can provide a detailed, interpretative description of a person’s life and psychological problems
• Can be a source of new ideas about behavior
• May offer tentative support for a theory
• May challenge a theory’s assumptions
• May inspire new therapeutic techniques
• May offer opportunities to study unusual problems

Question 4

Limitations in the case study

Answer 4

• Reported by biased observers
• Relies on subjective evidence
• Has low internal validity
• Provides little basis for generalization
• Has low external validity
• These limitations are addressed by the two other methods of investigation

Question 5

is the degree to which events or characteristics vary with each other

Answer 5

Correlation

Question 6

is a research procedure used to determine the “co-relationship” between variables

Answer 6

The correlational method

Question 7

The people chosen for a study are its subjects or participants, collectively called a __

Answer 7

sample

The sample must be representative of the larger population

Question 8

Describing a Correlation

Answer 8

Correlational data can be graphed and a “line of best fit” can be drawn
Positive correlation (slope is upward and to the right) = variables change in the same direction
Negative correlation (downward slope) = variables change in the opposite direction
Unrelated (no slope) = no consistent relationship

Question 9

the magnitude

Answer 9

The magnitude (strength) of a correlation is also important
High magnitude = variables which vary closely together; fall close to the line of best fit
Low magnitude = variables which do not vary as closely together; loosely scattered around the line of best fit

Question 10

Advantages of the correlational method:

Answer 10

Has high external validity
Can generalize findings
Can repeat (replicate) studies on other samples

Question 11

Difficulties with correlational studies:

Answer 11

Lack internal validity
Results describe but do not explain a relationship
Results say nothing about causation

Question 12

There are two special forms of correlational study

Answer 12

-Epidemiological studies Reveal the incidence and prevalence of a disorder in a particular population
Incidence = number of new cases that emerge in a given period
Prevalence = total number of cases in a given period
-Longitudinal studies -Researchers observe the same individuals on many occasions over a long period

Question 13

The Experimental Method

Answer 13

An experiment is a research procedure in which a variable is manipulated and the manipulation’s effect on another variable is observed
Manipulated variable = independent variable
Variable being observed = dependent variable

Question 14

remember

Answer 14

Researchers must try to eliminate all confounds – variables other than the independent variable that may also be affecting the dependent variable

Question 15

Three features are included in experiments to guard against confounds:

Answer 15

A control group
Random assignment
Blind design

Question 16

is a group of research participants who are not exposed to the independent variable, but whose experience is similar to that of the experimental group
By comparing the two groups, researchers can better determine the effect of the independent variable

Answer 16

A control group

Question 17

REMEMBER

Answer 17

To avoid bias by the participant, experimenters employ a “blind design,” in which participants are kept from knowing which assigned group (experimental or control) they are in
One strategy for this is providing a placebo – something that simulates real therapy but has none of its key ingredients

Question 18

REMEMBER

Answer 18

To avoid bias by the experimenter, experimenters employ a “double-blind design,” in which the experimenters and the participants are kept from knowing which condition of the study participants are in
Often used in medication trials

Question 19

Clinical researchers often must settle for designs that are less than ideal and include:

Answer 19

Quasi-experimental designs
Natural experiments
Analogue experiments
Single-subject experiments

Question 20

, investigators do not randomly assign participants to groups, but make use of groups that already exist
Example: Children with a history of child abuse

Answer 20

In quasi-experimental, or mixed designs

Question 21

, nature manipulates the independent variable and the experimenter observes the effects

Answer 21

In natural experiments

_Psychological impact of flooding
These events cannot be replicated at willBroad generalizations cannot be made

Question 22

allow investigators to freely manipulate independent variables while avoiding ethical and practical limitations

Answer 22

Analogue experiments

Question 23

In a single-subject experiment, a single participant is observed both before and after manipulation of an independent variable

Answer 23

In a single-subject experiment,

Experiments rely on baseline data to set a standard for comparison
An example is the ABAB, or reversal, design

Question 24

, a participant’s reactions are measured during a baseline period (A), after the introduction of the independent variable (B), after the removal of the independent variable (A), and after reintroduction of the independent variable (B)

Answer 24

In an ABAB (reversal) design

The participant is, essentially, compared against himself or herself under different conditions rather than against control subjects

Question 25

Single-subject experiments are similar to individual case studies

Answer 25

Both focus on one subject only
Both have low external validity

However, the single-subject experiment has higher internal validity than the case study, given the manipulation of an independent variable