Obtain and evaluate (in a systematic way) information that is relevant to a problem
Operationalization
The way we measure or manipulate the variables in a study
Generalizability
The ability to apply what we have learned to other individuals or groups
Group comparison study
A type of correlational study where researchers are interested in the relationship between people's membership in a particular group and their scores on some other variable
Case Studies
Detailed histories of unique individuals who have some form of psychological disorder
Hypothesis
A testable statement of what we predict will happen in a study
Dependent variable/ DV
The factor the study aims to predict
Independent Variable/ IV
The factor used or manipulated to predict the other variable
Sample
A group taken from the population of interest to participate in the study. The sample for the study must be representative of the population of interest, and the research must be generalizable to the population of interest
Control Group
A group similar in most ways to the primary group of interest but who do not experience the variable the theory hypothesizes causes changes in the dependent variable
ThirdVariable
Variables unrelated to the theory that still may have some effect on the dependent variable
Basic Rights of the Participants
Understanding the Study
Confidentiality
Right to refuse or withdraw participations
Informed Consent
Deception
Debriefing
Correlational Studies
Examine the relationship between two variables without manipulating the variables
Correlation Coefficient
An index of the relationship between two variables
PositiveCorrelation
Indicates that as values of one variable increase, values of the other variable increase
NegativeCorrelation
Indicates that as values of one variable increase, values of the other variable decrease
Statistically significant
A result that is unlikely to have happened by chance
A correlationalstudy can show that two variables are related, but it cannot show that one variable causes the other
ThirdVariable Problem
The possibility that variables not measured in the study actually account for the relationship between the variables measured in the study
Continuous variable studies
Evaluate the relationship between two variables that vary along a continuum
Representative sample
A sample that resembles the population of interest on all important variables. One way to generate this sample is to obtain a random sample
Cross-sectional studies
Assess a sample at one point in time
Longitudinal studies
Assess a sample at multiple points in time
Double-blind Experiment
Both the participants and the experimenters who interact with them should be unaware of whether participants are in the experimental condition or the control condition
Internal Validity
The extent to which changes in the dependent variable can confidently be attributed to our manipulation of the independent variable and not to other factors
Demand Characteristics
Situations that cause participants to guess the purpose of the study and thus change their behavior
Waitlistcontrolgroups
Control participants wait to receive the interventions until after the studies are completed
External Validity
The extent to which a study's results can be generalized to real-life phenomena
Group comparison studies
Evaluate differences between key groups, such as a group that experienced a certain stressor and a matched comparison group that did not
Epidemiological Studies
Look at the frequency and distribution of a disorder in a population
Prevalence
Proportion of the population that has the disorder at a given point or period in time
Incidence
The number of new cases of the disorder that develop during a specific period of time
Risk Factors
Conditions or variables associated with a higher risk of having the disorder
Experimental Studies
Can provide evidence that a given variable causes psychopathology
Therapy outcome study
Allows researchers to test a hypothesis about the causes of a psychopathology while providing a service to participants
Placebo control groups
Participants receive the general support of therapists but none of the elements of the therapy thought to be active
Single-caseexperimental designs
Involve the intensive investigation of single individuals or small groups of individuals before and after a manipulation or intervention
ABAB or reversal design
An intervention is introduced, withdrawn, and then reinstated, and the behavior of a participant on and off the treatment is examined
Multiple Baseline Designs
Allow researchers to manipulate their subjects in different settings or at different times, and the effects of the treatment are systematically observed
Animal studies raise questions about their generalizability to humans