PSY 510 CASE STUDY KEY CONCEPTS AND
CLINICAL INSIGHTS 2026
◉ What are the 2 central features of a pretest-posttest control group
design? (5.6) Answer: two groups and pretest-posttest scores are
compared to assess the change
◉ Posttest-only control groups are not commonly used because...
(5.7) Answer: reduce reactivity to a pretest
◉ Posttest-only control groups are not commonly used because...
(5.8) Answer: they cannot expose a before and after picture
◉ Why is a Solomon four-group design desirable? (5.9) Answer: it
replicates the treatment and control conditions
◉ Factorial designs are preferred because they... (5.10) Answer:
allow for the analysis of multiple treatment and interaction effects
◉ Quasi-experimental designs... (5.11) Answer: are not true
experiments
,◉ What type of design allows participants to be given the same
treatments but in different orders? (5.11) Answer: crossover design
◉ A Latin square would produce which of the following order
sequences? (5.13) Answer: BADC
◉ Which treatments are believed to produce more change in
multiple-treatment counterbalanced designs? (5.14) Answer: the
first treatment
◉ Ceiling and floor effects refer to... (5.15) Answer: limits to the
amount of change possible
◉ Control groups are typically used to address threats to... (6.1)
Answer: internal validity
◉ Spontaneous remission is a problem in therapy studies because...
(6.2) Answer: participants change over time without being in a
treatment condition
◉ Why are no-treatment control groups problematic? (6.3) Answer:
they are difficult to ethically justify
, ◉ Why are waiting-list control groups more favorable than no-
treatment control group? (6.4) Answer: they allow for both between
and within-participant comparisons
◉ A nonspecific-treatment control group... (6.5) Answer: is designed
to control for common factors that are associated with treatment
◉ No-treatment and waiting-list control groups are primarily used
to... (6.6) Answer: increase internal validity
◉ The use of a placebo is typically used to... (6.7) Answer: check for
the impact of contact
◉ Which design is used to control conceptually and procedurally
irrelevant factors that might emerge during a study (e.g., duration or
number of treatment sessions)? (6.8) Answer: yoked control group
◉ Why are patched-up control groups used? (6.9) Answer: in order
to rule out rival hypotheses
◉ Comparison groups are used to... (6.10) Answer: reduce threats to
internal validity and construct validity
CLINICAL INSIGHTS 2026
◉ What are the 2 central features of a pretest-posttest control group
design? (5.6) Answer: two groups and pretest-posttest scores are
compared to assess the change
◉ Posttest-only control groups are not commonly used because...
(5.7) Answer: reduce reactivity to a pretest
◉ Posttest-only control groups are not commonly used because...
(5.8) Answer: they cannot expose a before and after picture
◉ Why is a Solomon four-group design desirable? (5.9) Answer: it
replicates the treatment and control conditions
◉ Factorial designs are preferred because they... (5.10) Answer:
allow for the analysis of multiple treatment and interaction effects
◉ Quasi-experimental designs... (5.11) Answer: are not true
experiments
,◉ What type of design allows participants to be given the same
treatments but in different orders? (5.11) Answer: crossover design
◉ A Latin square would produce which of the following order
sequences? (5.13) Answer: BADC
◉ Which treatments are believed to produce more change in
multiple-treatment counterbalanced designs? (5.14) Answer: the
first treatment
◉ Ceiling and floor effects refer to... (5.15) Answer: limits to the
amount of change possible
◉ Control groups are typically used to address threats to... (6.1)
Answer: internal validity
◉ Spontaneous remission is a problem in therapy studies because...
(6.2) Answer: participants change over time without being in a
treatment condition
◉ Why are no-treatment control groups problematic? (6.3) Answer:
they are difficult to ethically justify
, ◉ Why are waiting-list control groups more favorable than no-
treatment control group? (6.4) Answer: they allow for both between
and within-participant comparisons
◉ A nonspecific-treatment control group... (6.5) Answer: is designed
to control for common factors that are associated with treatment
◉ No-treatment and waiting-list control groups are primarily used
to... (6.6) Answer: increase internal validity
◉ The use of a placebo is typically used to... (6.7) Answer: check for
the impact of contact
◉ Which design is used to control conceptually and procedurally
irrelevant factors that might emerge during a study (e.g., duration or
number of treatment sessions)? (6.8) Answer: yoked control group
◉ Why are patched-up control groups used? (6.9) Answer: in order
to rule out rival hypotheses
◉ Comparison groups are used to... (6.10) Answer: reduce threats to
internal validity and construct validity
