Exam 4: Research Methods for Studying Mental Disorders

Martin and Matthew are identical twins. Matthew has obsessive-compulsive disorder, but Martin does not. In a biological research study, who would be the proband?

A researcher believes that the higher a person's creativity, the greater the person's likelihood of showing mood swings. Research to test this idea ____.

Which of the following is not a characteristic of correlational studies?

One psychologist says, "Depression stems from unconscious feelings of anger and abandonment that go back to childhood." Another psychologist says, "Depression is caused by illogical thoughts and assumptions." These differences of opinion ____.

Dr. Appel says, "Excessive alcohol consumption is when drinking interferes with social and occupational functioning." But Dr. Baker says, "Excessive alcohol consumption is when a person's frequency and quantity of drinking is in the top 10 percent of all drinkers." What the two doctors are disagreeing about is ____.

Which of the following best illustrates a field study?

Analogue studies are used when researchers ____.

Suppose the only thing you know about a research study is that its statistical result is r = -0.74. What could you deduce?

A researcher interested in sex differences in the diagnosis of childhood disorders reviews teachers' comments on report cards issued to boys and girls in 2005 and compares them with teachers' comments on report cards for the same children in 2009, and again in 2011. This study illustrates ____.

Fifty survivors of an airplane crash are given questionnaires to fill out two weeks, six weeks, and thirty weeks after the crash. This study combines what types of research?

To study the effectiveness of a new anti-anxiety drug, researchers randomly assign equally anxious people to two groups, one getting Drug X and the other getting no drug. The researchers mistakenly conclude that Drug X works because people in the drug group show fewer signs of anxiety than the others. What is the mistake?

Which statement is accurate about correlational studies?

Emily came to see her advisor about doing a research study for her Ph.D. dissertation. "What are you going to investigate?" he asked. "I believe that drinking orange juice before an IQ test will raise a person's score," she said. Emily's answer constitutes a(n) ____.

A portion of a research report says, "Gifted children-those under 14 and with an IQ over 130-are more likely to be popular than less-gifted children. Furthermore, their popularity is related to stronger social skills, and this ability is evident with adults as well as with children." What portion of the statement illustrates an operational definition?

Truddi has been studying the topic of repressed memories. She is likely to find that ____.

What is a serious drawback of using analogue studies?

What conclusion can be reached from research findings that the mass media reports?

Which of the following is an example of analogue research?

Suppose you are interested in the relationship between stress and overeating. Describe two research studies on the topic, one a laboratory experiment and the other a correlational study. Provide operational definitions of stress and overeating . Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each form of research.

Measurable heritable characteristics like brain abnormalities, attention processing deficits, or eye movements that give clues about specific genes involved in psychological disorders are called ____.