Chapter 3
Introduction
Why might a profession whose main aim is arguably to alleviate mental health problems want to
do research or be involved in research?
Even if they are simply offering a treatment-based service, clinical psychologists should be
able to evaluate whether their services are effective and successful, and to do this with
any degree of objectivity requires a knowledge of scientific method
What proposes the widely held view that the clinical psychologist should be thought of as a
scientist-practitioner or an applied scientist?
someone who is competent as both a researcher (scientist) and a practitioner
(clinician/therapist)
This view arose in the early 20th century when psychology was thought of as an
experimental science. However, as the discipline of psychology developed from being a
pure research subject to an applied profession, clinical psychology still maintained its links
with universities and the academic
3.1 RESEARCH AND SCIENCE
3.1.1 What Is Research?
-Define research
In its broadest sense, research is a form of investigation aimed at discovering some facts
about a topic or about furthering understanding of that topic through careful
consideration or study.
Contrasting research with scientific method
In contrast, scientific method advocates that facts are collected in rather specific ways.
Usually this means that we should collect our facts for consideration in a systematic way
defined by objectivity and precise measurement
-what does the scientific method require with regards to research findings?
-define theory and hypotheses
-Findings have to be replicable and testable (meaning they should be falsifiable)
TheoryA set of propositions that usually attempt to explain a phenomenon by describing the
cause–effect relationships that contribute to that phenomenon.
HypothesesTentative explanations for a phenomenon used as a basis for further investigation or
predicting the outcome of a scientific study.
3.2 CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH – WHAT DO WE WANT TO FIND OUT?
3.2.2 What Questions Do Clinical Psychologists Use Research to Try to Answer?
research is often aimed at understanding what the aetiology (=Krankheitsursache) of a disease is,
meaning what its causes are.
-What is analogue research?
Research on healthy, non-clinical populations in order to shed light on the aetiology of
psychopathology.
, Research designs in clinical psychology
3.3.2 Longitudinal Studies and Prospective Designs
what is another name for longitudinal design?
-prospective design
3.3.3 Epidemiological Studies -prevalence
what is an epidemiological study?
Epidemiology is the study of the frequency and distribution of disorders within specific
populations over a specified period of time-->prevalence
Advantages
usually takes the form of a large-scale survey, and tends to be descriptive in the sense that
it attempts to provide details primarily about the prevalence of psychological disorders.
However, it can also be used to gather information about the factors that correlate with
psychological disorders, and this can provide information about how a specific disorder
affects people, whether it is more prevalent in young people or old people, men or
women, and so on.
It can also help us to understand what some of the risk factors are for a specific
psychological disorder, and whether the incidence of a disorder is increasing or decreasing
over time.
Disadvantage
Epidemiological studies are usually large-scale ones, and need to have enough
respondents in the survey to ensure that the sample is representative of all types of
person in the population being studied.
One of the largest epidemiological studies in the world is in the US, and is called the NIMH
Epidemiological Catchment Area Study
Prevalence-->Lifetime prevalence
Prevalence ratesThe representation of incidence by duration of a particular disorder.
lifetime prevalenceThe frequency of a disorder within a lifetime.
Benefits and costs of epidemiological studies
The benefits
provide information about the frequency of mental health problems that can be used for
planning healthcare services.
may also provide information about the risk factors for various psychological disorders,
which will help health service providers to identify those who may be at risk of developing
a mental health problem and so introduce programmes designed to help prevent those
problems.
Limitations
to provide valid descriptions of the prevalence rates of psychological disorders in a
particular population, the sample used must be truly representative of that population.
This is often difficult to achieve because such studies will never attain a 100 per cent
response rate, and many respondents will often refuse to take part.
3.3.4 Experimental Designs
why random assignments in experiments?
Introduction
Why might a profession whose main aim is arguably to alleviate mental health problems want to
do research or be involved in research?
Even if they are simply offering a treatment-based service, clinical psychologists should be
able to evaluate whether their services are effective and successful, and to do this with
any degree of objectivity requires a knowledge of scientific method
What proposes the widely held view that the clinical psychologist should be thought of as a
scientist-practitioner or an applied scientist?
someone who is competent as both a researcher (scientist) and a practitioner
(clinician/therapist)
This view arose in the early 20th century when psychology was thought of as an
experimental science. However, as the discipline of psychology developed from being a
pure research subject to an applied profession, clinical psychology still maintained its links
with universities and the academic
3.1 RESEARCH AND SCIENCE
3.1.1 What Is Research?
-Define research
In its broadest sense, research is a form of investigation aimed at discovering some facts
about a topic or about furthering understanding of that topic through careful
consideration or study.
Contrasting research with scientific method
In contrast, scientific method advocates that facts are collected in rather specific ways.
Usually this means that we should collect our facts for consideration in a systematic way
defined by objectivity and precise measurement
-what does the scientific method require with regards to research findings?
-define theory and hypotheses
-Findings have to be replicable and testable (meaning they should be falsifiable)
TheoryA set of propositions that usually attempt to explain a phenomenon by describing the
cause–effect relationships that contribute to that phenomenon.
HypothesesTentative explanations for a phenomenon used as a basis for further investigation or
predicting the outcome of a scientific study.
3.2 CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH – WHAT DO WE WANT TO FIND OUT?
3.2.2 What Questions Do Clinical Psychologists Use Research to Try to Answer?
research is often aimed at understanding what the aetiology (=Krankheitsursache) of a disease is,
meaning what its causes are.
-What is analogue research?
Research on healthy, non-clinical populations in order to shed light on the aetiology of
psychopathology.
, Research designs in clinical psychology
3.3.2 Longitudinal Studies and Prospective Designs
what is another name for longitudinal design?
-prospective design
3.3.3 Epidemiological Studies -prevalence
what is an epidemiological study?
Epidemiology is the study of the frequency and distribution of disorders within specific
populations over a specified period of time-->prevalence
Advantages
usually takes the form of a large-scale survey, and tends to be descriptive in the sense that
it attempts to provide details primarily about the prevalence of psychological disorders.
However, it can also be used to gather information about the factors that correlate with
psychological disorders, and this can provide information about how a specific disorder
affects people, whether it is more prevalent in young people or old people, men or
women, and so on.
It can also help us to understand what some of the risk factors are for a specific
psychological disorder, and whether the incidence of a disorder is increasing or decreasing
over time.
Disadvantage
Epidemiological studies are usually large-scale ones, and need to have enough
respondents in the survey to ensure that the sample is representative of all types of
person in the population being studied.
One of the largest epidemiological studies in the world is in the US, and is called the NIMH
Epidemiological Catchment Area Study
Prevalence-->Lifetime prevalence
Prevalence ratesThe representation of incidence by duration of a particular disorder.
lifetime prevalenceThe frequency of a disorder within a lifetime.
Benefits and costs of epidemiological studies
The benefits
provide information about the frequency of mental health problems that can be used for
planning healthcare services.
may also provide information about the risk factors for various psychological disorders,
which will help health service providers to identify those who may be at risk of developing
a mental health problem and so introduce programmes designed to help prevent those
problems.
Limitations
to provide valid descriptions of the prevalence rates of psychological disorders in a
particular population, the sample used must be truly representative of that population.
This is often difficult to achieve because such studies will never attain a 100 per cent
response rate, and many respondents will often refuse to take part.
3.3.4 Experimental Designs
why random assignments in experiments?
