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THE RESEARCH PROCESS:GENERATING HYPOTHESES, RESEARCH METHODS

<< THE ROLE OF RESEARCH IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY:LIMITATION
THE CONCEPT OF ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR & MENTAL ILLNESS >>
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Clinical Psychology­ (PSY401)
VU
LESSON 11
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
The process of research in clinical psychology, like research in other areas of psychology and in other
sciences, involves the unfolding of a story. The story begins with a question that, when framed properly,
can be answered with an acceptable degree of certainty. Pursuing the answers to questions involves six
broad steps; generation of hypotheses, selection of measures of key variables, selection of a research
design, selection of a sample, hypothesis testing, and interpretation and dissemination of results.
Throughout this process, it is imperative that researchers follow clear guidelines and standards for
ethical treatment of participants (human or animal) in research.
1. GENERATING HYPOTHESES
Any piece of research begins with a question that needs to be answered. Why do more women than men
experience clinical depression? What is the role of human genetics in the development of infantile
autism? How stable are certain personality characteristics, such as extroversion or sociability, across the
life span? What role does poverty play in the development of psychopathology? Is psychotherapy
effective in the treatment of eating disorders such as Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa? These
questions are among the thousands that have been posed and examined through research by clinical
psychologists.
In order to serve as the focus of scientific research, a question needs to be refined into a hypothesis. A
hypothesis goes further than a question in that it reflects the researcher's best educated idea about the
expected answer to a question. Furthermore, a hypothesis can be tested to determine if the null
hypothesis (i.e., that there is no difference or no relationship between the variables being studied) can be
rejected with some degree of certainty or statistical probability. Some types of descriptive research (e.g.,
epidemiological research to determine the prevalence of different forms of psychopathology) may not
be framed in terms of hypotheses. Instead, descriptive research attempts to provide information that
defines the extent or parameters of a particular behavior, personality characteristic, or psychological
disorder.
Research that is aimed to predict, explain, or change human behavior, however, is best represented as a
specific hypothesis that can be tested. The statistical methods employed by psychologists allow
researchers to determine the probability that the null hypothesis is false and that a hypothesized
relationship among different variables did not occur simply by chance.
Research hypotheses can emerge from at least three sources: careful observations of a clinical case or
cases, a theory concerned with human behavior or psychopathology, and the results of previous
research. A skilled clinical researcher is first and foremost an astute observer of human behavior. One
of the richest and most relevant sources of observations is the interactions of clinical psychologist with
their clients or patients. For example, a clinical psychologist who treats aggressive and noncompliant
children may observe that these children frequently come from families in which there is a high degree
of conflict and anger between the parents. This observation raises the possibility that conflict and
discord in marital relationships can contribute to childhood aggression and noncompliance. Equally
plausible, however, is the hypothesis that aggressive and disobedient behavior by a child can contribute
to tension and arguments between parents. In this way, observations of individual cases raise questions
whose answers require other methods and additional information.
A theory can serve as an important source of hypotheses about a variety of clinical problems. A theory
serves as a road map for a clinical psychologist, providing a sense of what to expect and why it should
be expected. Nevertheless, the central propositions of any theory cannot be left as mere abstractions. A
strong theory must lend itself to empirical evaluation and testing. For example, operant behavior theory
predicts that any behavior that is followed by positive consequences should increase in frequency. Thus,
a researcher can do more than asking a question about the effects of positive consequences on behavior.
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Table of Contents:
  1. MENTAL HEALTH TODAY: A QUICK LOOK OF THE PICTURE:PARA-PROFESSIONALS
  2. THE SKILLS & ACTIVITIES OF A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST:THE INTERNSHIP
  3. HOW A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST THINKS:Brian’s Case; an example, PREDICTION
  4. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY:THE GREEK PERIOD
  5. HISTORY OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY:Research, Assessment, CONCLUSION
  6. HOW CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS BECAME INVOLVED IN TREATMENT
  7. MODELS OF TRAINING IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY:PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS
  8. CURRENT ISSUES IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY:CERTIFICATION, LICENSING
  9. ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS:PREAMBLE
  10. THE ROLE OF RESEARCH IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY:LIMITATION
  11. THE RESEARCH PROCESS:GENERATING HYPOTHESES, RESEARCH METHODS
  12. THE CONCEPT OF ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR & MENTAL ILLNESS
  13. CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESOVERVIEW OF ETIOLOGY:PANDAS
  14. THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSIS:ADVANTAGES OF DIAGNOSIS, DESCRIPTION
  15. THE CONCEPT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
  16. THE CLINICAL INTERVIEW:The intake / admission interview, Structured interview
  17. THE ASSESSMENT OF INTELLIGENCE:RELIABILTY AND VALIDITY, CATTELL’S THEORY
  18. INTELLIGENCE TESTS:PURPOSE, COMMON PROCEDURES, PURPOSE
  19. THE USE AND ABUSE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING:PERSONALITY
  20. THE PROJECTIVE PERSONALITY TESTS:THE RORSCHACH
  21. THE OBSERVATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ITS TYPES:Home Observation
  22. THE BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT THROUGH INTERVIEWS, INVENTORIES AND CHECK LISTS
  23. THE PROCESS AND ACCURACY OF CLINICAL JUDGEMENT:Comparison Studies
  24. METHODS OF IMPROVING INTERPRETATION AND JUDGMENT
  25. PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS AND THEIR GOALS:THE EXPERT ROLE
  26. IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY:ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
  27. COURSE OF NEW CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS:IMPLEMENTING TREATMENT
  28. NATURE OF SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC VARIABLES:CLIENT’S MOTIVATION
  29. THE BEGINNING OF PSYCHOANALYSIS:THE CASE OF ANNA, THE INSTINCTS
  30. PSYCHOANALYTIC ALTERNATIVES:EGO ANALYSIS, CURATIVE FACTORS
  31. CLIENT CENTERED THERAPY:PURPOSE, BACKGROUND, PROCESS
  32. GESTALT THERAPY METHODS AND PROCEDURES:SELF-DIALOGUE
  33. ORIGINS AND TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES OF BEHAVIOR THERAPY
  34. COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY:MODELING, RATIONAL RESTRUCTURING
  35. GROUP THERAPY: METHODS AND PROCEDURES:CURATIVE FACTORS
  36. FAMILY AND COUPLES THERAPY:POSSIBLE RISKS
  37. INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY:THE ENVIRONMENT
  38. METHODS OF INTERVENTION AND CHANGE IN COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
  39. INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
  40. APPLICATIONS OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY:OBESITY, HEALTH CARE TRENDS
  41. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY PERSPECTIVES AND HISTORY:STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
  42. METHODS OF NEUROLOGICAL ASSESSMENT:Level Of Performance, Pattern Analysis
  43. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY:Qualification, Testifying, Cross Examination, Criminal Cases
  44. PEDIATRIC AND CHILD PSYCHOLOGY: HISTORY AND PERSPECTIVE
  45. INTERVENTIONS & TRAINING IN PEDIATRIC AND CLINICAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY