Question 1

Clinical practitioners seek a(n) _____ understanding of human behavior.

Accepted Answer

idiographic

Question 2

A researcher is designing a study to compare school achievement in children whose mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy and children whose mothers did not drink alcohol during pregnancy. Briefly describe two ways the researcher could ensure that the study has good internal validity and two ways the researcher could ensure that it has good external validity.

Accepted Answer

To ensure good internal validity, the researcher could use random assignment to assign children to the two groups (alcohol vs. no alcohol exposure) to minimize the potential for confounding variables. Additionally, the researcher could use standardized and reliable measures of school achievement to accurately assess the outcomes.

To ensure good external validity, the researcher could use a large and diverse sample of children to ensure that the findings can be generalized to a broader population. Additionally, the researcher could use a longitudinal study design to track the children's school achievement over time, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the long-term effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on school achievement.

Question 3

The direction of magnitude is expressed by the statistical term called the _____.

Accepted Answer

correlation coefficient

Question 4

Assume that a researcher wishes to do research designed to pinpoint early childhood events related to later development of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. Which type of investigation might the researcher use? What would be potential strengths and weaknesses of that type of investigation? Are there any ethical concerns the researcher ought to address?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Assume that a researcher wishes to do...

Question 5

A study has _____ when it controls for all variables except the ones being investigated.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A study has _____ when it controls...

Question 6

Sound research in abnormal psychology uses the _____ method.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sound research in abnormal psychology uses the...

Question 7

Design an experiment to test the hypothesis that older women who take estrogen are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Be sure to identify the control group, experimental group, independent variable, and dependent variable.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Design an experiment to test the hypothesis...

Question 8

A researcher wishes to use experimentation to study the effects of stress on the development of abnormal behaviors. Describe how the researcher might conduct that study, using either natural or analogue experiments.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A researcher wishes to use experimentation to...

Question 9

An investigation is said to have _____ when findings of the investigation can be generalized beyond the immediate study.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An investigation is said to have _____...

Question 10

Clinical researchers form general, or _____, knowledge about the nature, causes, and treatments of abnormal behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Clinical researchers form general, or _____, knowledge...

Question 11

The study design in which a researcher meets several times with a single research participant and interviews, tests, and physically evaluates that person to develop a detailed description of the person's life and psychological problem is called a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The study design in which a researcher...

Question 12

What are important differences between case studies and single-subject experiments? Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are important differences between case studies...

Question 13

A major shortcoming of a correlational study is that even when a correlation between two variables is statistically significant, one cannot infer causation. For example, a significant correlation exists between life stress and depression, yet one cannot say for sure that life stress causes depression. Given this major shortcoming, what are some specific reasons one might still wish to conduct a correlational study, as opposed to an experimental study (from which one might infer a cause-and-effect relationship)?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A major shortcoming of a correlational study...

Question 14

Correlations cannot be used to conclude that a(n) _____ relationship exists between two variables.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Correlations cannot be used to conclude that...

Question 15

Suppose a researcher found a strong positive correlation between college grade-point average (GPA) and self-esteem. Describe three possible and distinctly different causal explanations for this relationship.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose a researcher found a strong positive...

Question 16

When the probability that a study's findings occurred due to chance are less than _____ percent, the findings are said to be statistically significant.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When the probability that a study's findings...

Question 17

Which challenges might clinical scientists conducting research in abnormal psychology encounter? Briefly describe two challenges. Support your answers with examples of each.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which challenges might clinical scientists conducting research...

Question 18

Which steps would a researcher take to analyze the collected data from a correlational study to determine whether a correlation exists and whether the correlation is positive or negative? Include in your answer a description of each type of correlation: unrelated, positive, and negative.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which steps would a researcher take to...

Question 19

A tentative explanation or hunch that provides a basis for study is a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A tentative explanation or hunch that provides...

Question 20

Symptom-exacerbation studies and medication-withdrawal studies may be used to evaluate antipsychotic drug treatments for patients with psychoses. Which ethical issues are involved in each of these studies? Given these concerns, should researchers be allowed to perform these types of studies? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Symptom-exacerbation studies and medication-withdrawal studies may be...

Quiz 2: Research in Abnormal Psychology