Deck 4: Research Methods in Clinical Psychology

Question 1

Assuming that the most valid conclusion to reach is a compromise between two competing positions is a common error in thinking referred to as:

A) False Dilemma
B) Faulty Reasoning
C) Golden Mean Fallacy
D) Straw Person Argument

Answer 1

Faulty Reasoning

Question 2

It is okay to use deception in research:

A) as long as you tell the participant during the debriefing
B) because all of the great studies in history have used deception
C) only if it is justified by the potential gains which are not feasible through non-deceptive means
D) So long as it doesn't cause any physical pain to the participant

Answer 2

only if it is justified by the potential gains which are not feasible through non-deceptive means

Question 3

When the influence of one variable on a second variable is due, at least partially, to the influence of a third variable, the third variable is said to be a____________ of the relationship:

A) Moderator
B) Mediator
C) Cause
D) Correlate

Answer 3

Mediator

Question 4

When one variable directly or indirectly influences the level of a second variable, that variable is considered a______________ of the relationship.

A) Moderator
B) Mediator
C) Cause
D) Correlate

Question 5

A variable which influences the direction or size of the relation between two other variables is called a:

A) Moderator
B) Mediator
C) Cause
D) Correlate

Question 6

An informed consent must consist of all of the following except the:

A) purpose of the research
B) right to decline or withdraw participation
C) possible consequences
D) hypotheses of the study

Question 7

The first step in ensuring that a hypothesis is properly formulated and tested is to:

A) draw together all the results of the previous steps to sketch out the study procedures
B) consult the published research on the phenomenon of interest
C) consider ethical issues in testing of the idea
D) formalize ideas so that they can be tested in a scientific manner

Question 8

The rationale for having a variety of research design features is to:

A) make research an obscure and incomprehensible discipline
B) address potential short comings of research
C) offer a variety of options for participants to choose from
D) increase the likelihood of finding significant results

Question 9

A common method for calculating clinical significance is to:

A) compare pre-treatment scores to post-treatment scores to see if change is statistically greater than that expected from measurement error
B) establishing a pre-determined cut-off score to operationalize a normal range
C) evaluating whether scores fall above or below two standard deviations of the normal range of scores
D) All of the above

Question 10

Deriving an idea from repeated observations of everyday events is an example of a(n):

A) exposure
B) deductive process
C) inductive process
D) response

Question 11

Exposure involves:

A) stopping the person from engaging in the rituals that typically used to inappropriately manage anxiety
B) deliberately exposing the individuals to anxiety- provoking thoughts or external stimuli
C) Increasing the persistence of intrusive thoughts
D) deriving an idea from repeated observations of everyday events

Question 12

Since there is no evidence to prove my position is wrong, my position must be correct," is an error in thinking referred to as

A) Appeal to Ignorance
B) Affirming the Consequent
C) Faulty Reasoning
D) False Dilemma

Question 13

Using a formal theory to generate a research idea is known as a(n):

A) exposure
B) deductive process
C) inductive process
D) response

Question 14

Mischaracterizing a position in order to make it look absurd or unpalatable is a common error in reasoning referred to as:

A) Appeal to Ignorance
B) Affirming the Consequent
C) Straw Person Argument
D) Golden Mean Fallacy

Question 15

In considering compensation for participation, the researcher must:

A) avoid using excessive or inappropriate inducements to prevent feelings of coercion
B) pay as much money as the research grant will allow equally to each participant
C) not use monetary rewards for participation in research - it is unethical
D) avoid using grant money for compensation- only private funds should be used for that

Question 16

Debriefing is important because:

A) it gives the participant more information about the nature, results, and conclusions of the research
B) it allows the researcher an opportunity to clarify any misconceptions about the research
C) it allows both parties to ask questions about the experience of the research
D) all of the above

Question 17

Two variables that are said to be associated with each other are considered:

A) Moderated
B) Mediated
C) Causative
D) Correlated

Question 18

Response prevention involves:

A) stopping the person from engaging in the rituals that typically used to inappropriately manage anxiety
B) deliberately exposing the individuals to anxiety- provoking thoughts or external stimuli
C) Increasing the persistence of intrusive thoughts
D) deriving an idea from repeated observations of everyday events

Question 19

Use of animals in research requires that:

A) proper care, maintenance, and handling are observed
B) pain and discomfort are minimized
C) termination of life is rapid and pain is minimal
D) all of the above

Question 20

Evidence-based practice is based on

A) Empirical evidence
B) Expert opinion, which is often accepted regardless of if it is supported by empirical evidence or not
C) Common sense
D) All of the above

Question 21

Correlational designs:

A) use random assignment
B) manipulate one variable to cause an effect on another variable
C) are not capable of establishing a causal connection between variables
D) utilize all of the features that make a study scientific in nature

Question 22

In a "true" experimental design:

A) previous studies are summarized to draw conclusions about the state of knowledge in a research field
B) the experimenter manipulates some variables, but is not able to manipulate other important variables
C) random assignment is used to control extraneous influences
D) the researcher is unable to clearly demonstrate a cause and effect relationship between variables

Question 23

A moderator variable is one which:

A) is moderate in intensity
B) influences the strength of the relation between the predictor and criterion variable
C) explains a causal relationship
D) all of the above

Question 24

In selecting a sample, a researcher must be careful to:

A) select members only from certain age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status demographics
B) ensure that his or her conclusions accurately reflect the generalizability of the sample
C) offer large incentives to attract potential participants
D) recruit students from college disciplines other than psychology

Question 25

All of the following describe threats to external validity except:

A) characteristics of the individual research participants
B) participants awareness of their behaviors, moods, and attitudes
C) improved scores due to familiarity with the test upon re-testing
D) responding differently in a research study than a participant would act in other contexts

Question 26

The hallmark feature of an experimental design is:

A) manipulation of one or more variables to determine the effect on another measured variable
B) random assignment is used to control extraneous influences
C) a control group which receives none of the manipulation is often included
D) all of the above

Question 27

Structural equation modeling (SEM):

A) Uses mediation analysis only to illustrate how each variable relates to one another
B) uses moderation analysis only to discover the impact of one variable on multiple variables
C) uses confirmatory factor analysis only to test the best measure for each variable in the model
D) combines aspects of factor analysis and mediation analysis

Question 28

All of the following describe threats to internal validity except:

A) environmental characteristics of the physical location of the study
B) Loss of participants over time
C) changes in the definition of constructs and in their measurement
D) influence of events outside the context of the study

Question 29

One strength of structural equation modeling (SEM) is the ability to:

A) to test a comprehensive structural model using relatively pure measures of a construct
B) unequivocally demonstrate that the hypothesized model is true
C) use a relatively small sample, which are easier to obtain in research
D) All of the above

Question 30

Being able to justify interpretations of research results while ruling out alternative interpretations is referred to as:

A) internal validity
B) external validity
C) statistical conclusion validity
D) justification validity

Question 31

Probability sampling:

A) focuses on using techniques to ensure that the research sample is representative
B) is primarily concerned with obtaining a large sample size rather than a representative sample
C) is most commonly used in psychological research
D) often utilizes advertising on the radio or in newspapers to recruit participants

Question 32

A researcher may use exploratory factor analysis when:

A) a specific hypothesis regarding the nature of a factor structure is made a priori
B) the researcher is interested in how well the data fit a specified factor structure
C) The researcher prefers that correlations between variables provide evidence for a factor structure
D) all of the above

Question 33

In quasi-experimental designs:

A) previous studies are summarized to draw conclusions about the state of knowledge in a research field
B) the experimenter manipulates some variables, but is not able to manipulate other important variables
C) random assignment is used to control all extraneous influences
D) the researcher can clearly demonstrate a cause and effect relationship between variables

Question 34

The ability to generalize research results beyond the specific study is referred to as:

A) internal validity
B) external validity
C) statistical conclusion validity
D) justification validity

Question 35

Meta-analyses are most useful for:

A) describing different methodology used in previous studies
B) illuminating methodological flaws in previous studies so that new studies can be improved
C) summarizing the general trends seen across studies using different methodological techniques
D) all of the above

Question 36

In a meta-analysis:

A) previous studies are summarized to draw conclusions about the state of knowledge in a research field
B) the experimenter manipulates some variables, but is not able to manipulate other important variables
C) random assignment is used to control extraneous influences
D) the researcher is unable to clearly demonstrate a cause and effect relationship between variables

Question 37

For which of the following variables is an experimenter not likely to use random assignment:

A) Time of day
B) Diagnosis
C) Diet
D) Heart Rate

Question 38

Case studies:

A) are effective for rigorous hypothesis testing
B) efficiently rule out alternative explanations for research results
C) are ineffective for generating potential hypotheses
D) are helpful for connecting events, behaviors, and symptoms in the initial phases of a theory

Question 39

A mediator variable is one which:

A) is uncorrelated with the predictor and criterion variable
B) explains the mechanism by which a predictor variable influences a criterion variable
C) A variable which is only moderate in intensity
D) all of the above

Question 40

The hallmark feature of a quasi-experimental design is that:

A) large sample sizes are required
B) small samples are used
C) random assignment is not used
D) non-scientific analyses are completed

Question 41

The most objective measurements are:

A) Self-report measures
B) observations of behavior
C) coded behaviors
D) physiological measures

Question 42

A measurement with high reliability is:

A) consistent
B) predictive
C) demanding
D) all of the above

Question 43

A test which indicates that a vegetarian consumes too much red meat most clearly has poor:

A) predictive validity
B) convergent validity
C) discriminant validity
D) incremental validity

Question 44

Clinical significance refers to the degree to which a statistical finding is:

A) interesting
B) impactful
C) important
D) improbable

Question 45

Which of the following is an example of how variability can interfere with a study's validity:

A) different interviewers use instructions and procedures differently
B) measurement error from an unreliable measure influences the data obtained from participants
C) differences in participant characteristics influence the results within the sample
D) all of the above

Question 46

An example of archival data is:

A) Health care records
B) Police records
C) academic records
D) all of the above

Question 47

A score on a graduate school test is said to be good predictor of graduate school GPA. This test would be said to have good:

A) predictive validity
B) convergent validity
C) discriminant validity
D) incremental validity

Question 48

A type II error occurs when:

A) the researcher concludes that there is an effect of the manipulation when in fact no true effect exists
B) the researcher concludes that there is no effect of the manipulation when in fact a true effect does exist
C) the researcher concludes that a different methodology should have been employed
D) None of the above

Question 49

A scale weighing you at 150 pounds first and then 130 pounds immediately afterwards has poor:

A) internal reliability
B) test-retest reliability
C) inter-rater reliability
D) all of the above

Question 50

Meta-analyses have found that the most efficacious treatments for expressing anger are those that include components of:

A) teaching people to recognize the early signs of anger
B) encouraging the use of relaxation strategies and other strategies aimed at reducing physical tension and arousal
C) helping individuals to analyze and respond to anger-provoking situations in a problem-solving manner rather than an emotional charged manner
D) All of the above

Question 51

Measuring shoe size to predict academic success is most clearly an example of poor:

A) content validity
B) face validity
C) criterion validity
D) concurrent validity

Question 52

In non-probability sampling approaches:

A) Advertisements on the radio, in newspapers, or on college campuses are often used to recruit participants
B) the researcher is able to determines the probability of obtaining participants from a pool of potential participants
C) the samples are likely to be representative of the population and therefore provide good generalizability
D) the sample obtained is completely random

Question 53

In a performance task, the primary interest is:

A) the participants measured biological characteristics
B) the participants' quality of performance on a specified task
C) the subjective impressions of someone close to the participant
D) the underlying needs or motives displayed through a storytelling task

Question 54

A type I error occurs when:

A) the researcher concludes that there is an effect of the manipulation when in fact no true effect exists
B) the researcher concludes that there is no effect of the manipulation when in fact a true effect does exist
C) the researcher concludes that a different methodology should have been employed
D) None of the above

Question 55

If items on a test consistently measure the same construct, the items are said to have good:

A) internal reliability
B) test-retest reliability
C) inter-rater reliability
D) all of the above