Question 1

One strength of case studies is

Accepted Answer

Case studies are in-depth investigations of a single person, group, event, or community, which can provide detailed information and insights that can lead to the generation of hypotheses for further research.

Question 2

In what significant way do observational correlational) research designs differ from experimental research designs?

Accepted Answer

In observational research, researchers do not manipulate variables; they simply observe and measure them as they naturally occur, unlike in experimental research where variables are manipulated to determine causal relationships.

Question 3

Dr. Z does a study on the connection between physical abuse in childhood and depression in adulthood. Her study has good external validity. This means

Accepted Answer

Good external validity means that the findings of the study can be generalized to a broader population beyond the specific sample used in the study.

Question 4

Dr. Katz is researching the causes of phobias. He puts an ad in a newspaper asking for people who have an intense, distressing fear of snakes to come and participate in his study. The major problem with this is

Accepted Answer

The major problem is that the sample is not representative, as it only includes individuals who respond to the ad and may not reflect the broader population of people with phobias.

Question 5

Ideally, a sample is described as what?

Accepted Answer

A representative sample accurately reflects the characteristics of the population from which it is drawn, making it ideal for drawing conclusions about the entire population.

Question 6

A psychologist reports a single case of a disorder, detailing the person's feelings and responses. This research strategy is

Accepted Answer

Case studies are often considered weak in terms of generalizability because they focus on a single individual, making it difficult to apply findings to a larger population.

Question 7

In Dr. Lu's study of eating disorders, she looked at the academic histories of girls with an eating disorder and girls who did not have such problem. In this example, the girls with eating disorders are the ________ group.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Dr. Lu's study of eating disorders,...

Question 8

If a study has internal validity, this means

Accepted Answer

Internal validity refers to the extent to which a study can demonstrate a causal relationship between variables, allowing for valid conclusions to be drawn within the context of the study.

Question 9

An important FIRST step in studying a particular disorder is

Accepted Answer

Determining the criteria for identifying people who have the disorder is crucial as it sets the foundation for selecting subjects, designing the study, and ensuring that the research focuses on the correct population.

Question 10

A researcher interested in the health problems of people with schizophrenia interviews only those people diagnosed with the disorder who are in an inpatient facility. The most glaring weakness in this study is

Accepted Answer

The study's main weakness is nonrepresentative sampling, as it only includes individuals with schizophrenia who are in inpatient facilities, which may not accurately represent the broader population of people with schizophrenia.

Question 11

are more or less plausible ideas used to explain something e.g., a behavior) and can be tested using research methods.

Accepted Answer

Hypotheses are proposed explanations for a phenomenon that can be tested through research and experimentation.

Question 12

Why would a researcher want to insure that every person in the larger group of study has an equal chance of being included in the sample?

Accepted Answer

Ensuring every person has an equal chance of being included in the sample helps achieve a representative sample, which allows the researcher to generalize the findings to the larger population.

Question 13

Which of the following typically involves the use of trained observers?

Accepted Answer

Direct observation typically involves the use of trained observers to collect data on behavior or other observable phenomena.

Question 14

In Dr. Lu's study of eating disorders, she looked at the academic histories of girls with an eating disorder and girls who did not have such problem. In this example, the girls without eating disorders are the ________ group.

Accepted Answer

The control group is the group in an experiment or study that does not receive the treatment or intervention, allowing for a comparison against the group that does.

Question 15

To determine whether certain characteristics are true of people in general, and not just of people with mental disorders, it is important to use

Accepted Answer

A control group is used to compare against the group with the disorder to determine if characteristics are specific to the disorder or common in the general population.

Question 16

Carl is asked to provide information about his drinking. Despite the fact that he has had several arrests for driving will intoxicated, Carl reports that he has no problems with drinking. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Self-report data can be unreliable because individuals may not accurately or truthfully report their behaviors or experiences, as seen with Carl's denial of his drinking problem despite evidence to the contrary.

Question 17

Upon deciding to study individuals with a given disorder, what is the next step that should be taken?

Accepted Answer

Selecting criteria for identifying individuals with the disorder is essential to ensure that the study includes the appropriate subjects who meet the specific characteristics of the disorder being studied.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a problem of the case study method?

Accepted Answer

Subject dropout is more commonly associated with longitudinal studies rather than case studies.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT something that can be learned from a case study?

Accepted Answer

B

Question 20

Why is a representative sample desirable?

Accepted Answer

A representative sample is desirable because it accurately reflects the characteristics of the larger population, allowing for the findings to be generalized to that population.

Quiz 1: Abnormal Psychology Over Time