Deck 4: Research Methods in Psychopathology

Question 1

Correlational research differs from experimental research in that correlational research

A)is associated with external validity.
B)does not involve manipulation of variables.
C)relies on significance tests.
D)samples large groups of participants.

Answer 1

does not involve manipulation of variables.

Question 2

Which research method would be most useful in generating hypotheses about the cause of a newly discovered,rare form of abnormality?

A)case study
B)correlational method
C)experimental design
D)single-subject ABAB design

Answer 2

case study

Question 3

When testing a theory,each scientific observation must be

A)replaceable.
B)replicable.
C)unique.
D)original.

Answer 3

replicable.

Question 4

The more intelligent a person is the higher grades he or she receives in school.Most likely,this finding comes from which type of research?

A)case study
B)epidemiology
C)correlational study
D)experiment

Question 5

The scientific approach requires that theories be stated

A)clearly and precisely
B)as questions
C)in scientific terms
D)without reference to research

Question 6

Which of the following can disprove but not prove a hypothesis?

A)correlation
B)case study
C)experiment
D)questionnaire

Question 7

Correlational data would allow one to make which of the following statements?

A)"Depression causes weight gain."
B)"Weight gain causes people to become depressed."
C)"Depression is associated with higher weight."
D)"Lack of social support is the root of both depression and weight gain."

Question 8

A good theory should

A)be incapable of being proven wrong.
B)make sense of obscure phenomena.
C)develop directly out of observations.
D)explain cause-effect relationships.

Question 9

Dr.Bradley has been conducting a case study of Brenda P.,a woman with dissociative identity disorder.Which of the following statements by Dr.Bradley is a misuse of the case study method?

A)"Brenda,a woman with dissociative identity disorder,was sexually abused as a child.Therefore,all individuals with multiple personality disorder must have been abuse victims."
B)"Since Brenda was not sexually abused,the theory that all dissociation is caused by sexual abuse may not be universally true."
C)"Brenda was sexually molested as a child.This leads me to hypothesize that perhaps other individuals with dissociative identity disorder were molested as children."
D)All of the above are examples of inappropriate uses of the case study.

Question 10

The research design that does NOT accomplish the goal of being able to draw broad conclusions is the

A)case study method.
B)correlational method.
C)experimental method.
D)longitudinal design.

Question 11

Science comes from the Latin word,"scire" which means

A)to know
B)to research
C)to question
D)all of the above

Question 12

"The primary problem is an unconscious anger toward his mother." What makes this statement unscientific?

A)It is not reliable.
B)It does not make sense.
C)It is not theoretical.
D)It is not testable.

Question 13

Case studies are not useful in

A)providing the means for ruling out alternative hypotheses.
B)providing a rich description of clinical phenomena.
C)disproving an allegedly universal hypothesis.
D)generating hypotheses.

Question 14

Case studies can be effective for which of the following purposes?

A)Confirming theoretical propositions.
B)Generating research hypotheses.
C)Demonstrating universal relationships.
D)Showing cause-effect relationships.

Question 15

Which of the following are generated by theories?

A)case material
B)hypotheses
C)statistical significance
D)none of the above

Question 16

Dr.Lee has been treating someone with an unusual combination of symptoms.He notes that there is no published research on such a combination of symptoms,and considers developing a case study.How would Dr.Lee conduct this study?

A)Try to find other cases like the one he is treating.
B)Gather detailed historical and biographical information on this single individual.
C)Examine treatment response using an ABAB design.
D)Withhold treatment in an effort to fully understand the significance of symptoms.

Question 17

Juan wants to do a research study on whether or not studying for a test will improve students' performance.If he believes it will,what would be his hypothesis?

A)Will studying improve test performance?
B)Will those who don't study perform worse than those who do?
C)Students who study will perform better on the test.
D)All of the above

Question 18

Which of the following scientific methods uses random assignment?

A)experiment
B)correlation
C)case study
D)realistic

Question 19

Which of the following are valid criticisms of the case study method?

A)It does not provide the means for ruling out alternative hypotheses.
B)It is unable to provide satisfactory evidence for cause-effect relationships.
C)The results of a case study are influenced by many factors unique to the subject and the context of the case study.
D)All of the above.

Question 20

A theory

A)is derived from hypotheses.
B)is the result of long deliberation by a scientist.
C)attempts to explain a class of phenomena.
D)all of the above.

Question 21

When examining a scatter diagram,the __________ scattered the points are distributed,the __________the correlation.

A)more; lower
B)more; more stable
C)less; lower
D)less; more stable

Question 22

If the correlation between two variables is zero,this means that

A)higher scores on one are associated with higher scores on the other.
B)they are perfectly related.
C)there is no relationship between them.
D)they are inversely related.

Question 23

A statistical finding is usually considered significant if:

A)the probability that it is an accurate finding is 5 or less in 100
B)the probability that it is an accurate finding is 1 or less in 100
C)the probability that it is a chance finding is 5 or less in 100
D)the probability that it is a chance finding is 50 or less in 100

Question 24

Dr.Hauser hypothesized that depression is related to stress,such that people who are more depressed are also more stressed.Which of the following correlations between depression and stress would best support her hypothesis?

A)0
B).55
C).80
D)-.99

Question 25

Which of the following correlation coefficients is plausible for a study that showed that the weight of people's clothing increases as the temperature decreases?

A)r = +.20
B)r = 0.00
C)r = -.20
D)r = -2.0

Question 26

Which of the following correlations might have resulted from a study which compared grade point average to hours per week spent partying and which concluded that students who party more get poorer grades?

A)+ 1.50
B)+ .50
C)0)00
D)- .50

Question 27

Which research design is illustrated by the following? A therapist gathers data showing that,repeatedly,a patient is better on days his wife visits and worse on days when she does not.

A)observation
B)correlational method
C)single-subject (ABAB)experiment
D)longitudinal design

Question 28

Professor Jones has observed a correlation between students sitting in the front of the room and getting better grades in her classes.In order to conduct an "experiment" on this,Professor Jones could

A)collect data on student study habits.
B)assign students randomly to seats.
C)adjust her data for overall grade point average.
D)obtain similar data from other professors and classes.

Question 29

__________ is defined by whether or not a relationship between variables is large enough to matter.

A)clinical significance
B)statistical significance
C)reliable significance
D)valid significance

Question 30

Which of the following would likely produce a negative correlation?

A)intelligence and grade point averages.
B)family income and living in the inner city.
C)length of hair and history of child abuse.
D)auto accident injuries and blood alcohol level of drivers.

Question 31

A correlation of .98 between X and Y would indicate

A)virtually no relationship between X and Y.
B)a causal relationship,where X causes Y.
C)a weak positive relationship between X and Y.
D)a strong positive relationship between X and Y.

Question 32

Saying that a research result is "statistically significant" means that it probably

A)has practical applications.
B)shows a cause-effect relationship.
C)did not occur by chance.
D)shows a positive correlation.

Question 33

Men and women were compared for their levels of disgust reactions to a gross photograph.This would be a(n)__________ study.

A)case
B)correlational
C)experimental
D)epidemiological

Question 34

With the __________ method,only people with above average risk of developing a particular disorder would be studied.

A)scientific
B)correlational
C)heredity
D)high-risk

Question 35

Which of the following correlation coefficients is most likely to be statistically significant?

A).00
B)-.10
C).40
D)-.85

Question 36

If variables were found to be unrelated their correlation coefficient would be:

A)-1.00
B)0.00
C)+1.00
D)None of the above

Question 37

The standard for suggesting that a result is statistically significant is if the chances are less than __________ in 100 that it occurred by chance.

A).05
B)5
C)10
D)25

Question 38

Statistical significance is used to evaluate

A)the causal relationship between variables.
B)the external validity of research results.
C)the likelihood of repeating research results.
D)the theoretical consistency of research results.

Question 39

Which of the following correlation coefficient values demonstrates the highest degree of correlation?

A)-1.00
B)+0.67
C)+0.96
D)-0.84

Question 40

A correlation coefficient can range in value from

A)-1.00 to +1.00.
B)-100 to +100.
C)0 to 1.
D)0 to 100.

Question 41

The __________ problem is concerned with whether or not an additional variable may have caused the outcome.

A)third-variable
B)additional-variable
C)correlated-variable
D)extra-variable

Question 42

In correlational studies it can be hard to show which variable led to a change in the other variable.This is a problem with

A)directionality.
B)cross-fostering.
C)incidence.
D)clinical significance.

Question 43

Directionality is best addressed by

A)using a control group.
B)using a longitudinal design.
C)using a case study.
D)using a correlational design.

Question 44

Dr.Hall found a positive correlation between depression and child abuse; depressed mothers were more likely to abuse their children.Which of the following explanations best illustrates the third-variable problem?

A)Abusing one's children may cause depression.
B)Poverty may cause both depression and child abuse.
C)The relationship between depression and child abuse may apply only to women.
D)Abused children may have a predisposition to become depressed.

Question 45

Professor Misha collects data showing a correlation between grades and happiness.He concludes that being happy helps students to get better grades.Which of the following illustrates the "directionality problem" in Professor X's conclusion?

A)Students in love may be happier and get better grades.
B)Good grades may produce happiness.
C)Students with poor grades may drop out of school.
D)Female (or male)students may get better grades.

Question 46

Farrah is working on a study that selected a group of teenage girls diagnosed with an eating disorder and plans to measure risk variables in this sample repeatedly for the next 25 years.Farrah is most likely working on a study with a

A)experimental design.
B)correlational design.
C)cross-sectional design.
D)longitudinal design.

Question 47

Which statement is TRUE regarding correlation?

A)Correlation does not imply causation.
B)Causation does not imply correlation.
C)Both a and b are true.
D)Neither a nor b are true.

Question 48

If a correlation between depressive symptoms and active treatment is clinically significant this means

A)the effect is large enough to provide reliability information.
B)the effect is large enough to provide meaningful information in predicting or treating depression.
C)it is not statistically significant.
D)that causation can be implied.

Question 49

When studying the relationship between social class and anxiety disorders,Dr.Stewart follows 50 children whose parents were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder from birth to age 30.This is an example of:

A)the experimental method.
B)an epidemiological study.
C)a behavioral-genetics study.
D)the high-risk method.

Question 50

Epidemiology is the study of

A)unique cases or unusual disorders.
B)the rates and correlates of disorders in a population.
C)the development of disorders over the life span.
D)mental disorders in other cultures.

Question 51

Eric is concerned about the distribution of schizophrenia in a particular city.To answer his question he would have to look at the findings of a(n)__________ study.

A)epidemiological research
B)episodic research
C)occasional research
D)representative research

Question 52

Several studies have found a correlation between schizophrenia and family conflict.Which of the following explanations illustrates the directionality problem?

A)The relationship found between schizophrenia and family conflict may not be consistent in different ethnic groups.
B)Schizophrenics may be less likely to live with their families.
C)Both schizophrenia and family conflict may be caused by low socioeconomic status.
D)Family conflict may cause schizophrenia,or schizophrenia may cause family conflict.

Question 53

Which of the following findings is most likely to be statistically significant?

A)correlation = .30; sample size = 350
B)correlation = .30; sample size = 200
C)correlation = -.25; sample size = 200
D)Can't tell from the available information

Question 54

Dr.Samuelson finds that the relation between level of hopelessness and suicide is .35,and there is a less than 5 in 100 probability that this was found by chance alone.What would be concluded about this correlation?

A)It demonstrates that suicide attempts cause hopelessness.
B)It is statistically significant.
C)It is unreliable.
D)It is valid.

Question 55

Psychopathologists rely upon correlational research since

A)it is effective in determining cause and effect.
B)many of the variables they wish to study cannot be manipulated.
C)ethical considerations prevent them from doing case studies.
D)they cannot measure all the constructs.

Question 56

Dr.Less collected data showing that depressives were less interested in interacting with nondepressives.She concluded that their depression had caused them to withdraw from nondepressives.However,later research showed that depressives had not interacted with nondepressives even before they became depressed.Dr.Less failed to consider __________ problems.

A)falsifiability
B)directionality
C)third variable
D)internal validity

Question 57

A research team found that men who did not exercise had a higher rate of heart disease.Which of the following explanations best illustrates the third-variable problem?

A)Heart disease might make it more difficult for men to exercise.
B)The relationship between exercise and heart disease might not be causal.
C)Including men who smoke in the study might erase the relationship between exercise and heart disease.
D)Smoking might cause both heart disease and reluctance to exercise.

Question 58

You hypothesize that low social class causes poor school grades.You find that the correlation between low social class and school grades is .01.What can you conclude?

A)Your hypothesis may be correct,but longitudinal research is indicated to reach a firm conclusion.
B)Your hypothesis is probably incorrect.
C)Your hypothesis has not been tested,because a correlational study cannot answer questions about cause and effect.
D)It is probably poor school grades that lead to low social class.

Question 59

Dr.Fiedler found that people with schizophrenia are more likely to have lower socioeconomic status than those who do not have schizophrenia.What can you conclude from this study?

A)Poverty is a cause of schizophrenia.
B)Schizophrenia leads to poverty.
C)Economic reform would reduce the incidence of schizophrenia.
D)Schizophrenia and poverty are related.

Question 60

Ava wants to design a study in which the causes and effects are measured at the same point in time because it is more cost-efficient.This type of study design is called

A)longitudinal.
B)correlational.
C)cross-sectional.
D)epidemiological.

Question 61

What type of research enabled psychopathologists to discover that Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is more common in boys than in girls?

A)case study
B)epidemiological
C)experimental
D)correlational

Question 62

Jacob was "cross-fostered" which means he was:

A)raised in more than one foster family
B)raised in two foster families - half their life in one and half their life in the other
C)raised completely apart from his biological parents
D)raised by his grandparents and then foster care

Question 63

An investigator finds that the concordance rate for bipolar disorder is higher among monozygotic twins than among dizygotic twins.Which would be an INCORRECT conclusion on the basis of this finding?

A)Bipolar disorder is partially inherited.
B)Bipolar disorder is learned through interactions and observations of family members.
C)Genetics play no role in bipolar disorder.
D)Identical twins may not be treated in the same way as non-identical twins.

Question 64

Concordance for disorders should be greater for __________ than __________ if there is a genetic predisposition for the condition.

A)monozygotic; dizygotic pairs
B)genotypic; phenotypic pairs
C)dizygotic; monozygotic pairs
D)phenotypic; genotypic pairs

Question 65

The best evidence supporting a genetic component to different disorders stems from

A)proband studies.
B)studies of twins reared apart.
C)sibling studies.
D)family studies.

Question 66

Researchers went door to door conducting structured diagnostic interviews to determine how common particular psychiatric diagnoses were.Which type of research was this?

A)case studies
B)epidemiological
C)correlational
D)experimental

Question 67

In research using the twin method,a disorder is heritable if the concordance is __________ in DZ compared to MZ twins is

A)absent.
B)higher.
C)the same.
D)lower.

Question 68

"The lifetime prevalence rate of panic disorder is 3.5%." This statement indicates that

A)there will be 3.5% of new cases of panic disorder in the population over the next year.
B)there is a 3.5% chance of developing panic disorder following the interview until death.
C)of individuals interviewed,3.5% had experienced panic disorder at some point in their life.
D)the proportion of chronic panic sufferers is 3.5%.

Question 69

Incidence refers to

A)the likelihood that a disorder will be found in another culture.
B)the number of people who develop new cases of the disorder in a given time period.
C)the proportion of a population that has a disorder now.
D)the likelihood that a person will have a disorder given that they have a particular characteristic.

Question 70

A risk factor may be best defined as

A)the likelihood that a disorder will be found in another culture.
B)the likelihood of contracting a disorder in a given time period.
C)the proportion of a population that has a disorder now.
D)a characteristic that increases the likelihood of developing a disorder.

Question 71

What is a common problem in epidemiological studies?

A)They are experimental.
B)They cannot measure prevalence,only incidence.
C)They often draw on samples that are not representative of the population being studied.
D)They do not use undergraduate samples.

Question 72

Which of the following is another term for an index case?

A)genotypes
B)phenotypes
C)probands
D)zygotes

Question 73

Frank and Jamal are monozygotic twins so we can expect them to:

A)look identical
B)look different
C)dress alike
D)have the same friends

Question 74

"About 2% of adults have obsessive-compulsive disorder." This is a statement about the __________ of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A)incidence
B)prevalence
C)risk factor
D)correlation coefficient

Question 75

There is no relationship between social class and schizophrenia.What types of research would most likely lead to such a conclusion?

A)epidemiological and case study
B)epidemiological and correlational
C)case study and mixed design
D)correlational and experimental

Question 76

Professor Merrick wishes to study the percentage of men from various social classes who drop out of school.Which of the following methods would be most useful?

A)the experiment
B)the case study
C)epidemiological research
D)the mixed designs

Question 77

"Approximately 1500 new cases of AIDS were diagnosed in 1988 in Chicago." This is an example of the estimate of the __________ of AIDS.

A)prevalence
B)incidence
C)risk factor
D)statistical significance

Question 78

A study finds that children of mothers with a fear of heights are more likely to have a fear of heights themselves.Which of the following may be a reason why it would be inaccurate to conclude that a fear of heights is genetically transmitted from mother to offspring?

A)Specific phobias cannot be genetically transmitted.
B)The mothers may model phobic behavior.
C)The study did not test the possibility of the fathers' having a fear of heights.
D)None of the above.

Question 79

Epidemiological research can be helpful for

A)addressing third variable and directionality problems.
B)determining the effectiveness of different treatments.
C)planning for the health care needs of communities.
D)intensive analysis of a disease in a single individual.

Question 80

The family method refers to

A)identifying the gene(s)believed to cause inherited disorders.
B)comparing the incidence of disorders in other members of a family.
C)examining twins raised apart.
D)examining phenotypes of nuclear families.