Question 1

Bill is a clinician who feels that when it comes to evaluating and interpreting data about a patient, there is no substitute for the clinician's personal experience and judgment. Bill is most likely endorsing the actuarial approach to prediction.

Accepted Answer

The statement describes the clinical approach to prediction, which relies on the clinician's expertise and intuition, rather than the actuarial approach, which relies on statistical models and algorithms.

Question 2

A passive gene-environment correlation occurs

Accepted Answer

A passive gene-environment correlation occurs when a person's biological parents transmit certain genotypes and early environmental experiences that are consistent with those genotypes. For example, a child may inherit a genetic susceptibility to depression from their parents, who also provide a home environment that is stressful and lacking in social support.

Question 3

Which of the following was NOT presented by the text as a criticism of the case study method of investigating abnormal behaviour?

Accepted Answer

The text did not present this as a criticism of the case study method. Instead, it was mentioned that case studies can provide ideas for future research and generate new hypotheses.

Question 4

According to the text, __________ compares treatment results to non-disturbed samples, in order to evaluate the social validity of a particular treatment.

Accepted Answer

Normative comparison involves comparing treatment results to non-disturbed samples to evaluate the social validity of a particular treatment, helping to understand how the treatment outcomes compare to those of typical, undisturbed populations.

Question 5

Face validity goes one step beyond content validity in its requirement that a test's content include a representative sample of behaviours thought to be related to the construct the test is designed to measure.

Accepted Answer

Face validity refers to the extent to which a test appears to measure what it is supposed to measure, based on a superficial examination, rather than the inclusion of a representative sample of behaviors related to the construct, which is more closely associated with content validity.

Question 6

Though based on the investigation of an individual subject, the _____ design avoids many of the criticisms of the case study by using experimentally accepted procedures.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Though based on the investigation of an...

Question 7

Experimental results concerning the efficacy of a particular treatment are labelled "statistically significant" when

Accepted Answer

A statistically significant result means that it is extremely unlikely that the obtained results could have occurred purely by chance. However, it does not necessarily mean that the treatment has been proven to work in "real life." Therefore, choice D is the best answer.

Question 8

Evocative gene-environment correlation occurs

Accepted Answer

Evocative gene-environment correlation refers to the phenomenon where an individual's inherited characteristics provoke responses from others in their environment, thus the environment is responding to the individual's genetic tendencies.

Question 9

Because of the potential confound of shared environment in _____ studies, behavioural geneticists have often turned to other methods such as adoption studies.

Accepted Answer

The potential confound of shared environment refers to the fact that family members often share similar environmental experiences, making it difficult to disentangle genetic and environmental influences on behaviour. Therefore, behavioural geneticists have turned to other methods, such as adoption studies, to examine genetic influences on behaviour. Cross-fostering is a specific type of adoption study, so it is not a separate method from adoption studies. Psychological studies may or may not involve genetic influences, so it is too general of a category to be the best answer.

Question 10

There has been a great deal of research, using a wide variety of methods, examining the concordance rates for disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These studies have generally revealed higher concordance rates in ______ than in __________.

Accepted Answer

The studies examining concordance rates for disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have generally revealed higher concordance rates in monozygotic twins (identical twins who share 100% of their genetic material) than in dizygotic twins (fraternal twins who share only 50% of their genetic material). Therefore, the correct answer choice is E (monozygotic twins; dizygotic twins).

Question 11

Coefficient alpha and split-half reliability are both methods for evaluating the internal consistency of a test.

Accepted Answer

Both coefficient alpha and split-half reliability are methods for assessing the internal consistency of a test.

Question 12

What is an effect size?

Accepted Answer

An effect size is a statistic that reflects the strength of an intervention's effects. It provides a standardized measure of the magnitude of the difference between two groups or the relationship between variables in a study. Effect sizes are important in interpreting the practical significance of research findings and comparing results across studies. Choices A, C, D, and E are not accurate definitions of effect size.

Question 13

If two variables, A and B, are related then we can say all of the following except

Accepted Answer

We cannot definitively state that A causes B without further evidence or experimentation, as there may be other factors at play.

Question 14

Alternate-form reliability refers to the degree of reliability within a test.

Accepted Answer

Alternate-form reliability refers to the degree of consistency between two different forms of the same test that have been designed to measure the same construct.

Question 15

Leanne is conducting a study in which she is examining the difference in rates of bipolar disorder between monozygotic and dizygotic twins pairs. The term most frequently used to describe this sort of study is

Accepted Answer

The study Leanne is conducting is a twin study, as it involves comparing rates of bipolar disorder between monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twin pairs. Sibling study involves comparing traits or disorders among biological siblings, adoption study involves comparing traits or disorders among adoptees and their biological and adoptive families, matched study involves matching individuals based on certain characteristics to compare their outcomes, and there is no such thing as a zygotic study.

Question 16

A musical child grows older and begins to hang out with other musically-gifted peers, and eventually decides to enter the Faculty of Music when he goes to University. This is known as

Accepted Answer

The musical child's decision to enter the Faculty of Music when going to University shows an active gene-environment correlation, as he actively sought out an environment that would support and enhance his musical abilities.

Question 17

Linda is clinical psychologist studying the incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia in a certain population. She is carrying out a(n) ____ study.

Accepted Answer

Linda is studying the incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia in a certain population, which falls under the domain of epidemiology. Therefore, Linda is conducting an epidemiological study.

Question 18

Psychological assessment is a central component of psychological testing.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Psychological assessment is a central component of...

Question 19

A treatment's practical utility, which does not follow automatically from statistical significance, is referred to as _____ significance.

Accepted Answer

Clinical significance refers to whether a treatment has real-world practical value or usefulness in treating a particular condition, beyond just statistical significance. It takes into account factors such as the size of treatment effects, the severity of symptoms, and the benefits versus potential harms of the treatment. While the other answer choices (A, B, D, E) may be related to the concept of practical utility, "clinical significance" is the most well-established and commonly used term in the field of healthcare and research.

Question 20

According to the text, the case study is a(n) __________ approach used in the investigation of abnormal behaviour.

Accepted Answer

The question asks for the approach used in the investigation of abnormal behavior. The ideographic approach focuses on the individual case and aims to understand the unique characteristics and experiences of the person. The other options (singular, nomothetic, individual, unitary) do not specifically address the use of the case study method in investigating abnormal behavior.

Quiz 4: Psychological Assessment and Research Methods