Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary focus of clinical researchers?
What is the primary focus of clinical researchers?
- Providing therapy to patients with mental illness.
- Assessing and treating individual clients.
- Discovering universal laws and principles. (correct)
- Diagnosing psychological disorders.
Which ethical principle emphasizes the importance of fair distribution of research benefits and burdens?
Which ethical principle emphasizes the importance of fair distribution of research benefits and burdens?
- Justice (correct)
- Beneficence
- Informed Consent
- Respect for persons
What is the role of neurotransmitters in brain function?
What is the role of neurotransmitters in brain function?
- Cause structural changes in the brain detectable via CT scans.
- Insulate nerve fibers to speed up signal transmission.
- Facilitate communication between neurons by releasing chemicals at axon terminals. (correct)
- Transmit electrical signals directly between neurons.
Which neuroimaging technique primarily provides information about brain structure rather than function?
Which neuroimaging technique primarily provides information about brain structure rather than function?
In behavioral genetics, what conclusion can be drawn if adopted children share traits more similar to their biological parents than their adoptive parents?
In behavioral genetics, what conclusion can be drawn if adopted children share traits more similar to their biological parents than their adoptive parents?
In twin studies, if monozygotic twins raised separately exhibit the same behavior, what does this suggest?
In twin studies, if monozygotic twins raised separately exhibit the same behavior, what does this suggest?
What is a key limitation of adoption studies?
What is a key limitation of adoption studies?
What is the association between schizophrenia and dopamine levels?
What is the association between schizophrenia and dopamine levels?
Which of the following is a key limitation of using case studies in clinical research?
Which of the following is a key limitation of using case studies in clinical research?
A researcher finds a correlation coefficient of $-0.85$ between stress levels and sleep duration. What does this indicate?
A researcher finds a correlation coefficient of $-0.85$ between stress levels and sleep duration. What does this indicate?
What is the primary purpose of random assignment in an experimental study?
What is the primary purpose of random assignment in an experimental study?
In an experimental study evaluating a new antidepressant, what is the purpose of using a double-blind procedure?
In an experimental study evaluating a new antidepressant, what is the purpose of using a double-blind procedure?
Which research method is best suited for establishing a causal relationship between two variables?
Which research method is best suited for establishing a causal relationship between two variables?
A researcher is studying the prevalence of anxiety disorders in a large city. What is prevalence in this context?
A researcher is studying the prevalence of anxiety disorders in a large city. What is prevalence in this context?
Which of the following is a key advantage of longitudinal research designs?
Which of the following is a key advantage of longitudinal research designs?
A study reports a treatment for depression as having 'statistical significance' but lacking 'clinical significance'. What does this imply?
A study reports a treatment for depression as having 'statistical significance' but lacking 'clinical significance'. What does this imply?
Flashcards
Clinical Research
Clinical Research
Research aimed at understanding universal laws and principles without assessing individual clients.
Common Research Participants
Common Research Participants
Undergraduate students make up 67% of research participants in psychology studies.
Belmont Report
Belmont Report
A key document outlining core ethical principles: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.
Informed Consent
Informed Consent
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Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters
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Brain Imaging Techniques
Brain Imaging Techniques
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Behavioral Genetics
Behavioral Genetics
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Twin Studies
Twin Studies
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Little Albert
Little Albert
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Correlation Coefficient
Correlation Coefficient
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Experimental Design
Experimental Design
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Cross-sectional Research
Cross-sectional Research
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Longitudinal Research
Longitudinal Research
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Epidemiology
Epidemiology
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Prevalence
Prevalence
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Incidence
Incidence
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Study Notes
Introduction to Clinical Research
- Clinical research aims to discover universal laws and principles for understanding.
- Researchers search for understanding but do not typically assess, diagnose, or treat individual clients.
- Clinical psychologists often do both.
- The study relies on the scientific method.
- A common research participant is a student; 67% of psychology participants are undergraduate students.
Science at any cost?
- Little Albert experiments
- Milgram experiments (1961-63)
- Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-72)
Core Ethics Principles
- Belmont Report (1978)
- Respect for persons
- Beneficence
- Justice
- Informed Consent
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- IRB reviews research proposals to ensure ethical conduct.
Clinical Research at Biological and Individual Levels
- Neurotransmitters are released when an electrical signal reaches the axon terminal.
Brain Function: Neuroimaging
- Structural imaging: CT (CAT) and MRI
- Functional imaging: fMRI and PET
Genetics
- Behavioral genetics studies family, twin, and adoption studies to determine if behavioral patterns are due to genetics or environment.
- A typical human being has 46 chromosomes (23 pairs).
- Sex is determined by X and Y chromosomes; males are XY and females are XX.
Adoption Studies
- Adoption studies examine individuals with the same genes but different environments to identify if traits are inherited or environmentally influenced.
- Studies may not be random; children may be placed with relatives or people of similar ethnicity.
- Children's pre-adoption experiences—lack of early care—may affect results.
Twin Studies
- Monozygotic (MZ) twins share identical genes.
- Dizygotic (DZ) twins share about half their genes.
- If MZ twins have different behaviors, the difference likely stems from environmental factors.
- If MZ twins separated in infancy have similar behaviors, this suggests a genetic influence.
Individual Level: Case Study
- Benefits of case studies include examining rare phenomena, developing hypotheses, and illustrating clinical issues.
- Case studies have limitations: Do not prove cause-and-effect; results cannot be generalized to other individuals; they do not account for individual differences (age, sex, ethnicity).
Clinical Research at Group and Population Levels
- Group-level research uses correlations to determine relationships between variables.
Group Level: Correlation
- Correlation coefficient: ranges from -1.0 to +1.0; represents the strength and direction of a relationship.
Describing a Correlation
- Positive correlation scores increase together.
- Negative correlation scores move in opposite directions.
Experimental Method: Establishing Causation
- Experimental group differs from a control group in one key aspect (independent variable).
- Random assignment ensures groups are similar.
- The control group is generally a good comparison.
- The sample should be generalizable to a larger group.
- Dependent variables should have meaning.
- Clinical significance differs from statistical significance.
- Proper assessments are critical.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Research Methods
- Different research methods have varying strengths & weaknesses in terms of providing individual, general, causal, statistical analysis, and replicability.
Research Designs
- Cross-sectional studies assess participants at one time point.
- Longitudinal studies assess participants repeatedly over time.
Population Level: Epidemiology
- Prevalence is the number of cases in a population at a given time. (Point vs. Lifetime)
- Incidence is the number of new cases that emerge in a given period.
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