PSYC 435 Definitions 1 UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
ABAB design - CORRECT ANSWER An experimental design, often involving a single subject, wherein a baseline
period (A) is followed by a treatment (B). To confirm that the treatment resulted in a change in behavior, the treatment is
then withdrawn (A) and reinstated (B).
Abnormal psychology - CORRECT ANSWER Field of psychology concerned with the study, assessment,
treatment, and prevention of abnormal behavior.
Acute - CORRECT ANSWER Term used to describe a disorder of sudden onset, usually with intense symptoms.
Analogue studies - CORRECT ANSWER Studies in which a researcher attempts to emulate the conditions
hypothesized as leading to abnormality
Bias - CORRECT ANSWER Observer bias occurs when the researcher has preconceived ideas and expectations
that influence the observations he or she makes in the research study
Case study (method) - CORRECT ANSWER An in-depth examination of an individual or family that draws from a
number of data sources, including interviews and psychological testing.
Chronic - CORRECT ANSWER Term used to describe a long-standing or frequently recurring disorder, often with
progressing seriousness.
Comorbidity - CORRECT ANSWER Occurrence of two or more identified disorders in the same psychologically
disordered individual.
Comparison or control group - CORRECT ANSWER Group of subjects who do not exhibit the disorder being
studied but who are comparable in all other respects to the criterion group. Also, a comparison group of subjects who do
not receive a condition or treatment the effects of which are being studied
Correlation - CORRECT ANSWER The tendency of two variables to change together. With positive correlation, as
one variable goes up, so does the other; with negative correlation, one variable goes up as the other goes down
Correlation coefficient - CORRECT ANSWER A statistic that ranges from +1.0 to -1.0 and reflects the degree of
association between two variables. The magnitude of the correlation indicates the strength of the association, and the sign
indicates whether the correlation is positive or negative
Correlational research - CORRECT ANSWER A research strategy that examines whether and how variables go
together (co-vary) without manipulating (changing) any variables
Criterion group - CORRECT ANSWER Group of subjects who exhibit the disorder under study
Dependent variable - CORRECT ANSWER In an experiment, the factor that is observed to change with changes in
the manipulated (independent) variables
Direct observation - CORRECT ANSWER Method of collecting research data that involves directly observing
behavior in a given situation
Double bind - CORRECT ANSWER Situation in which a person will be disapproved for performing a given act
and equally disapproved if he or she does not perform it
Effect size - CORRECT ANSWER A statistical term referring to the strength of the relationship between two
variables in a statistical population
Epidemiology - CORRECT ANSWER Study of the distribution of diseases, disorders, or health-related behaviors
in a given population. Mental health epidemiology is the study of the distribution of mental disorders
, Etiology - CORRECT ANSWER Factors that are related to the development (or cause) of a particular disorder
Experimental research - CORRECT ANSWER Research that involves the manipulation of a given factor or
variable with everything else held constant
External validity - CORRECT ANSWER The extent to which the findings from a single study are relevant to other
populations, contexts, or times
Family aggregation - CORRECT ANSWER The clustering of certain traits, behaviors, or disorders within a given
family. Family aggregation may arise because of genetic or environmental similarities
Generalizability - CORRECT ANSWER The extent to which the findings from a single study can be used to draw
conclusions about other samples
Hypothesis - CORRECT ANSWER Statement or proposition, usually based on observation, that is tested in an
experiment; may be refuted or supported by experimental results but can never be conclusively proved
Incidence - CORRECT ANSWER Occurrence (onset) rate of a given disorder in a given population
Independent variable - CORRECT ANSWER Factor whose effects are being examined and which is manipulated
in some way, while other variables are held constant
Labeling - CORRECT ANSWER Assigning a person to a particular diagnostic category, such as schizophrenia
Lifetime prevalence - CORRECT ANSWER The proportion of living persons in a population who have ever had a
disorder up to the time of the epidemiologic assessment
Longitudinal design - CORRECT ANSWER A research design in which people are followed over time.
Meta-analysis - CORRECT ANSWER A statistical method used to combine the results of a number of similar
research studies. The data from each study are transformed into a common metric called the effect size. This allows the
data from the various studies to be combined and then analyzed. You can think of a meta-analysis as being like research
that you are already familiar with, except that the "participants" are individual research studies, not individual people
Negative correlation - CORRECT ANSWER A relationship between two variables such that a high score on one
variable is associated with a low score on another variable
Nomenclature - CORRECT ANSWER A formalized naming system
one year prevalence - CORRECT ANSWER The total number of cases of a health-related state or condition in a
population for a given year
Placebo treatment - CORRECT ANSWER An inert pill or otherwise neutral intervention that produces desirable
therapeutic effects because of the subject's expectations that it will be beneficial.
Point prevalence - CORRECT ANSWER The number of cases of a specific condition or disorder that can be found
in a population at one given point in time
Positive correlation - CORRECT ANSWER A relationship between two variables such that a high score on one
variable is associated with a high score on another variable
Prevalence - CORRECT ANSWER In a population, the proportion of active cases of a disorder that can be
identified at a given point in time or during a given period
Prospective research - CORRECT ANSWER Method that often focuses on individuals who have a higher-than-
average likelihood of becoming psychologically disordered before abnormal behavior is observed
Random assignment - CORRECT ANSWER A procedure used to create equivalent groups in which every research
participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group in the study
Questions and CORRECT Answers
ABAB design - CORRECT ANSWER An experimental design, often involving a single subject, wherein a baseline
period (A) is followed by a treatment (B). To confirm that the treatment resulted in a change in behavior, the treatment is
then withdrawn (A) and reinstated (B).
Abnormal psychology - CORRECT ANSWER Field of psychology concerned with the study, assessment,
treatment, and prevention of abnormal behavior.
Acute - CORRECT ANSWER Term used to describe a disorder of sudden onset, usually with intense symptoms.
Analogue studies - CORRECT ANSWER Studies in which a researcher attempts to emulate the conditions
hypothesized as leading to abnormality
Bias - CORRECT ANSWER Observer bias occurs when the researcher has preconceived ideas and expectations
that influence the observations he or she makes in the research study
Case study (method) - CORRECT ANSWER An in-depth examination of an individual or family that draws from a
number of data sources, including interviews and psychological testing.
Chronic - CORRECT ANSWER Term used to describe a long-standing or frequently recurring disorder, often with
progressing seriousness.
Comorbidity - CORRECT ANSWER Occurrence of two or more identified disorders in the same psychologically
disordered individual.
Comparison or control group - CORRECT ANSWER Group of subjects who do not exhibit the disorder being
studied but who are comparable in all other respects to the criterion group. Also, a comparison group of subjects who do
not receive a condition or treatment the effects of which are being studied
Correlation - CORRECT ANSWER The tendency of two variables to change together. With positive correlation, as
one variable goes up, so does the other; with negative correlation, one variable goes up as the other goes down
Correlation coefficient - CORRECT ANSWER A statistic that ranges from +1.0 to -1.0 and reflects the degree of
association between two variables. The magnitude of the correlation indicates the strength of the association, and the sign
indicates whether the correlation is positive or negative
Correlational research - CORRECT ANSWER A research strategy that examines whether and how variables go
together (co-vary) without manipulating (changing) any variables
Criterion group - CORRECT ANSWER Group of subjects who exhibit the disorder under study
Dependent variable - CORRECT ANSWER In an experiment, the factor that is observed to change with changes in
the manipulated (independent) variables
Direct observation - CORRECT ANSWER Method of collecting research data that involves directly observing
behavior in a given situation
Double bind - CORRECT ANSWER Situation in which a person will be disapproved for performing a given act
and equally disapproved if he or she does not perform it
Effect size - CORRECT ANSWER A statistical term referring to the strength of the relationship between two
variables in a statistical population
Epidemiology - CORRECT ANSWER Study of the distribution of diseases, disorders, or health-related behaviors
in a given population. Mental health epidemiology is the study of the distribution of mental disorders
, Etiology - CORRECT ANSWER Factors that are related to the development (or cause) of a particular disorder
Experimental research - CORRECT ANSWER Research that involves the manipulation of a given factor or
variable with everything else held constant
External validity - CORRECT ANSWER The extent to which the findings from a single study are relevant to other
populations, contexts, or times
Family aggregation - CORRECT ANSWER The clustering of certain traits, behaviors, or disorders within a given
family. Family aggregation may arise because of genetic or environmental similarities
Generalizability - CORRECT ANSWER The extent to which the findings from a single study can be used to draw
conclusions about other samples
Hypothesis - CORRECT ANSWER Statement or proposition, usually based on observation, that is tested in an
experiment; may be refuted or supported by experimental results but can never be conclusively proved
Incidence - CORRECT ANSWER Occurrence (onset) rate of a given disorder in a given population
Independent variable - CORRECT ANSWER Factor whose effects are being examined and which is manipulated
in some way, while other variables are held constant
Labeling - CORRECT ANSWER Assigning a person to a particular diagnostic category, such as schizophrenia
Lifetime prevalence - CORRECT ANSWER The proportion of living persons in a population who have ever had a
disorder up to the time of the epidemiologic assessment
Longitudinal design - CORRECT ANSWER A research design in which people are followed over time.
Meta-analysis - CORRECT ANSWER A statistical method used to combine the results of a number of similar
research studies. The data from each study are transformed into a common metric called the effect size. This allows the
data from the various studies to be combined and then analyzed. You can think of a meta-analysis as being like research
that you are already familiar with, except that the "participants" are individual research studies, not individual people
Negative correlation - CORRECT ANSWER A relationship between two variables such that a high score on one
variable is associated with a low score on another variable
Nomenclature - CORRECT ANSWER A formalized naming system
one year prevalence - CORRECT ANSWER The total number of cases of a health-related state or condition in a
population for a given year
Placebo treatment - CORRECT ANSWER An inert pill or otherwise neutral intervention that produces desirable
therapeutic effects because of the subject's expectations that it will be beneficial.
Point prevalence - CORRECT ANSWER The number of cases of a specific condition or disorder that can be found
in a population at one given point in time
Positive correlation - CORRECT ANSWER A relationship between two variables such that a high score on one
variable is associated with a high score on another variable
Prevalence - CORRECT ANSWER In a population, the proportion of active cases of a disorder that can be
identified at a given point in time or during a given period
Prospective research - CORRECT ANSWER Method that often focuses on individuals who have a higher-than-
average likelihood of becoming psychologically disordered before abnormal behavior is observed
Random assignment - CORRECT ANSWER A procedure used to create equivalent groups in which every research
participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group in the study
