Abnormal Psych

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 To confirm that the treatment resulted in a change in behavior, the treatment is then withdrawn (A) and reinstated (B). 

Field of psychology concerned with the study, assessment, treatment, and prevention of abnormal behavior

term used to describe a disorder of sudden onset, usually with intense symptoms

Studies in which a researcher attempts to emulate the conditions hypothesized as leading to abnormality

observer bias occurs when the researcher has preconceived ideas and expectations that influence the observations he or she makes in the research study

an in-depth examination of an individual or family that draws from a number of data sources, including interviews ans psychological testing

term used to describe a long-standing or frequently recurring disorder, often with progressing seriousness

occurrence of two or more identified disorders in the same psychologically disordered individual

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

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

research strategy that examines whether and how variables go together (covary) without manipulating (changing) any variables

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

group of subjects who exhibit the disorder under study

in an experiment, the factor that is observed to change with changes in the manipulated (independent) variables

method of collecting research data that involves directly observing behavior in a given situation

refers tot he fact that, in correlation research, it cannot be concluded whether variable A cases variable B or whether B causes A

often used in studies examining drug treatment effects, a condition where neither the subject nor the experimenter has knowledge about what specific experimental condition (or drug) the subject is receiving

a statistical term referring to the strength of the relationship between two variables in a statistical population

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

factors that are related to the development or cause of a particular disorder

research that involves the manipulation of a given factor or variable with everything else held constant

the extent to which the findings from a single study are relevant to other populations, contexts, or times

clustering of certain traits, behaviors, or disorders within a given family. Family aggregation may arise because of genetic or environmental similarities

the extent to which the findings from a single study can be used to draw conclusions about other samples

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

occurrence (onset) rate of a given disorder in a given population

factor whose effects are being examined and which is manipulated in some way while other variables are held constant

the extent to which a study is free of confounds, is methodologically sound, and allows the researcher to have confidence in the findings

assigning a person to a particular diagnostic category, such as schizophrenia

proportion of living persons in a population who have ever had a disorder up to the time of the epidemiological assessment

research design in which people are followed over time

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 call the effect size. This allows the data from the various studies to be combined and then analyzed. 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

a relationship between two variables such that a high score on one variable is associated with a low score on another

formalized naming system

total number of cases of a health-related state or condition in a population for a given year

positive effect experienced after an inactive treatment is administered in such a way that a person thinks he or she is receiving an active treatment

number of cases of a specific condition or disorder that can be found in a population at one given point in time

a relationship between two variables such that a high score on one variable is associated with a high score on another variable

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

method that often focuses on individuals who have a higher-than-average likelihood of becoming psychologically disordered before abnormal behavior is observed

procedure used to created equivalent groups in which every research participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group in the study

research approach that attempts to retrace earlier events in the life of a subject

process of selecting a representative subgroup from a defined population of interest

data collected directly from participants, typically by means of interviews or questionnaires

an experimental research design that involves only one subject

a measure of the probability that a research finding could have occurred by chance alone

tendency to jump to conclusions about what a person is like based on beliefs about that group that exist in the culture

negative labeling

refers to the problem of making causal inferences in correlational research where the correlation between two variables could be due to their shared correlation with an unmeasured third variable