Deck 4: Research Methods in the Study of Psychopathology

Question 1

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 are correct.

Answer 1

All of the above are correct.

Question 2

Which of the following research methods are best used for only hypothesis generating?

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

Answer 2

case study

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

assign students randomly to seats.

Question 4

Scientific theories should be evaluated according to which of the following two criteria?

A)reliability and bias
B)realism and external validity
C)testability and reliability
D)internal validity and explanatory power

Question 5

A theorist proposed that anorexia was caused by early childhood sexual abuse.Dr.Firestorm demonstrated that her anorexic patient had never been sexually abused.This is an example of one important use of which method?

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

Question 6

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 choices are correct.

Question 7

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 8

"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 9

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 10

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 11

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

Question 12

If a researcher were to compare the relationship between school grades and conduct problems,then this would be a _________ study.

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

Question 13

Which of the following are generated by theories?

A)case material
B)hypotheses
C)statistical significance
D)None of the above are generated by theories.

Question 14

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 15

The research design with the lowest value in accomplishing 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 16

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.

Question 17

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 18

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 19

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 20

Dr.Puff discovered that hypnosis enabled smokers to quit,but when Dr.Poof tried the same procedure,it did not work.Dr.Puff's finding was not

A)reliable.
B)valid.
C)theoretical.
D)testable.

Question 21

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 22

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 23

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 24

Statistical significance in research suggests the results are

A)internally valid.
B)externally valid.
C)not affected by experimenter bias.
D)not due to chance.

Question 25

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 26

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

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

Question 27

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 28

Dr.Klein found that the correlation between anxiety and an IQ test was exactly zero.This means that

A)there was no relationship between IQ and anxiety.
B)those scoring highest on anxiety also scored highest on IQ.
C)those scoring highest on anxiety scored lowest on IQ.
D)the relationship between IQ and anxiety varies depending on the order in which the tests were given.

Question 29

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 30

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 31

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 32

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 33

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 34

What 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 35

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

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

Question 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

If the correlation between two variables is zero,

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 40

Which of the following correlation coefficients is plausible for a study which 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 41

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 42

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 43

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)experiment
B)case studies
C)epidemiological research
D)mixed designs

Question 44

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 45

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 46

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 47

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 48

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 49

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

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

Question 50

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 51

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 52

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 53

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 54

Correlational methods are often used in psychopathology research because psychopathological diagnoses

A)are not clear cut.
B)may result from third variables.
C)have high correlation coefficients.
D)cannot be manipulated.

Question 55

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 56

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 57

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 58

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 59

A group of researchers identify and study children who are considered more likely to develop anxiety disorders in adulthood.This method is

A)the genetic proband method.
B)the high-risk method.
C)the known-risk method.
D)the cross sectional method.

Question 60

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 61

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

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

Question 62

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 63

Because Graciela's mother has schizophrenia,Graciela is more likely to develop schizophrenia herself.This is an example of

A)a risk factor.
B)incidence.
C)prevalence.
D)occurrence.

Question 64

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.

Question 65

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 66

"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 67

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 68

A genetic explanation of schizophrenia would be supported by which of the following choices?

A)Higher concordance between MZ than DZ twins.
B)MZ twins reared apart are likely to share the disorder.
C)First-degree relatives of someone with schizophrenia are more likely to have schizophrenia than third-degree relatives.
D)All of these support a genetic explanation.

Question 69

"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 70

Used in linkage analysis research,genetic markers refer to

A)genes that are identical between two ore more siblings with the same disorder.
B)disorders for which we know the chromosomal location of the genes involved.
C)sequences of DNA that produce disorders.
D)None of the above.

Question 71

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 72

Causal relationships are best identified by which design?

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

Question 73

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 74

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 75

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 76

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 77

Shannon is five years old and was adopted at birth.Her adopted mother has bipolar disorder and some psychologists in the area are studying Shannon's development over time,as well as a number of other children who were adopted at birth and live with adoptive parents with bipolar disorder.Shannon is most likely in what kind of study?

A)cross-fostering
B)twin method
C)experiment
D)cross-sectional

Question 78

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 79

In this method,children are adopted and reared with adopted parents who have a particular disorder.

A)family method
B)twin method
C)experiment
D)cross-fostering

Question 80

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.