{"id":36,"date":"2020-07-13T18:18:08","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T18:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/abnormalpsych\/chapter\/introduction-15\/"},"modified":"2021-01-27T03:02:31","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T03:02:31","slug":"introduction-15","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/chapter\/introduction-15\/","title":{"raw":"Why It Matters: Psychological Research","rendered":"Why It Matters: Psychological Research"},"content":{"raw":"<h2>Why learn about research and ethics in abnormal psychology?<\/h2>\r\nHow do you know what you know? And how do you know that what you believe to be true is really true? Many of us might just say that we know what we know because of what we have experienced in life. People are naturally inquisitive, so they often come up with questions about things they see or hear, and they often develop ideas or\u00a0hypotheses\u00a0about why things are the way they are.\u00a0Sometimes we just have a gut feeling about certain things based on phenomena we have observed. However, if we are to be objective, one way of finding out if we are accurate in our beliefs is to conduct research. Consider the types of headlines that you might read in the popular media:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Diet of fish \u2018can prevent\u2019 teen violence[footnote]Hinsliff, G. (2003, September 14). Diet of fish \u2018can prevent\u2019 teen violence. <em>The Observer<\/em>. Retrieved from www. theguardian.com\/politics\/2003\/sep\/14\/science.health.[\/footnote]<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Social isolation may have a negative effect on intellectual abilities[footnote]Social isolation may have a negative effect on intellectual abilities. (2007, October 30). <em>Medical News Today<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/ releases\/87087.php.[\/footnote]<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 1em\">Each of these statements is biased in one way or another.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">Both contain a direct claim that the writer wishes the audience to accept; however,\u00a0<\/span>there is some problem with design, methodology, or analysis making it possible to account for the findings by considering other variables or even a rival hypothesis. It is possible the\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 1em\">research findings were reported incorrectly. S<\/span>tatements like the ones above should only be made if there were empirical research studies to back up the results or findings.\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 1em\">Results from the studies need to be conveyed in an objective manner.<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">\u00a0Furthermore, only a specific type of experimental research design should be used before making these statements.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 1em\">This issue is important in abnormal psychology. Is the will to live a consequence or predictor of depression?\u00a0[footnote]Carmel S, Tovel H, Raveis VH, O'Rourke N. Is a Decline in Will to Live a Consequence or Predictor of Depression in Late Life? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018 Jul;66(7):1290\u20131295. doi: 10.1111\/jgs.15394. Epub 2018 Apr 20. PMID: 29676436.[\/footnote] We may think we know the answer based on our life experiences or based on our clinical practice, but w<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">hat we think we know about mental health and where mental disorder comes from\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">should be verified and clarified in rigorous research studies.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">In their research, psychologists use case studies, naturalistic observation, and surveys to describe behavior. They use correlation to assess the relationship between variables and use experimentation to uncover cause-effect relationships. Researchers use statistics to describe their data, assess relationships between variables, and determine whether differences are significant.<\/span>\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>Watch It<\/h3>\r\nWatch the CrashCourse video to review the main types of research studies that you learn about in this module, then read through the following examples and see if you can come up with your own design for each type of study.\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hFV71QPvX2I[\/embed]\r\n\r\nYou can <a href=\"https:\/\/oerfiles.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/Lifespan+Development\/Transcriptions\/PsychologicalResearchCrashCoursePsychology2_transcript.txt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">view the transcript for \"Psychological Research: Crash Course Psychology #2\" here (opens in new window)<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<h2>Why learn about research and ethics in abnormal psychology?<\/h2>\n<p>How do you know what you know? And how do you know that what you believe to be true is really true? Many of us might just say that we know what we know because of what we have experienced in life. People are naturally inquisitive, so they often come up with questions about things they see or hear, and they often develop ideas or\u00a0hypotheses\u00a0about why things are the way they are.\u00a0Sometimes we just have a gut feeling about certain things based on phenomena we have observed. However, if we are to be objective, one way of finding out if we are accurate in our beliefs is to conduct research. Consider the types of headlines that you might read in the popular media:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Diet of fish \u2018can prevent\u2019 teen violence<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Hinsliff, G. (2003, September 14). Diet of fish \u2018can prevent\u2019 teen violence. The Observer. Retrieved from www. theguardian.com\/politics\/2003\/sep\/14\/science.health.\" id=\"return-footnote-36-1\" href=\"#footnote-36-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Social isolation may have a negative effect on intellectual abilities<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Social isolation may have a negative effect on intellectual abilities. (2007, October 30). Medical News Today. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/ releases\/87087.php.\" id=\"return-footnote-36-2\" href=\"#footnote-36-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">Each of these statements is biased in one way or another.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">Both contain a direct claim that the writer wishes the audience to accept; however,\u00a0<\/span>there is some problem with design, methodology, or analysis making it possible to account for the findings by considering other variables or even a rival hypothesis. It is possible the\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 1em\">research findings were reported incorrectly. S<\/span>tatements like the ones above should only be made if there were empirical research studies to back up the results or findings.\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 1em\">Results from the studies need to be conveyed in an objective manner.<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">\u00a0Furthermore, only a specific type of experimental research design should be used before making these statements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">This issue is important in abnormal psychology. Is the will to live a consequence or predictor of depression?\u00a0<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Carmel S, Tovel H, Raveis VH, O'Rourke N. Is a Decline in Will to Live a Consequence or Predictor of Depression in Late Life? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018 Jul;66(7):1290\u20131295. doi: 10.1111\/jgs.15394. Epub 2018 Apr 20. PMID: 29676436.\" id=\"return-footnote-36-3\" href=\"#footnote-36-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a> We may think we know the answer based on our life experiences or based on our clinical practice, but w<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">hat we think we know about mental health and where mental disorder comes from\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">should be verified and clarified in rigorous research studies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;text-align: initial\">In their research, psychologists use case studies, naturalistic observation, and surveys to describe behavior. They use correlation to assess the relationship between variables and use experimentation to uncover cause-effect relationships. Researchers use statistics to describe their data, assess relationships between variables, and determine whether differences are significant.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Watch It<\/h3>\n<p>Watch the CrashCourse video to review the main types of research studies that you learn about in this module, then read through the following examples and see if you can come up with your own design for each type of study.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"Psychological Research: Crash Course Psychology #2\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hFV71QPvX2I?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>You can <a href=\"https:\/\/oerfiles.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/Lifespan+Development\/Transcriptions\/PsychologicalResearchCrashCoursePsychology2_transcript.txt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">view the transcript for &#8220;Psychological Research: Crash Course Psychology #2&#8221; here (opens in new window)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-36\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Modification, adaptation, and original content. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Sonja Ann Miller for Lumen Learning. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Introduction to Psychological Research. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: OpenStax College. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/Sr8Ev5Og@5.48:QKvTPo6D@4\/Introduction\">http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/Sr8Ev5Og@5.48:QKvTPo6D@4\/Introduction<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Download for free at http:\/\/cnx.org\/content\/col11629\/latest\/.<\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">All rights reserved content<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Understanding Driver Distration. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: American Psychological Association. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XToWVxS_9lA&#038;list=PLxf85IzktYWJ9MrXwt5GGX3W-16XgrwPW&#038;index=9\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XToWVxS_9lA&#038;list=PLxf85IzktYWJ9MrXwt5GGX3W-16XgrwPW&#038;index=9<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>Other<\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Standard YouTube License<\/li><li>Psychological Research - Crash Course Psychology #2. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Hank Green. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: CrashCourse. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hFV71QPvX2I\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hFV71QPvX2I<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>Other<\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Standard YouTube License<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-36-1\">Hinsliff, G. (2003, September 14). Diet of fish \u2018can prevent\u2019 teen violence. <em>The Observer<\/em>. Retrieved from www. theguardian.com\/politics\/2003\/sep\/14\/science.health. <a href=\"#return-footnote-36-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-36-2\">Social isolation may have a negative effect on intellectual abilities. (2007, October 30). <em>Medical News Today<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/ releases\/87087.php. <a href=\"#return-footnote-36-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-36-3\">Carmel S, Tovel H, Raveis VH, O'Rourke N. Is a Decline in Will to Live a Consequence or Predictor of Depression in Late Life? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018 Jul;66(7):1290\u20131295. doi: 10.1111\/jgs.15394. Epub 2018 Apr 20. PMID: 29676436. <a href=\"#return-footnote-36-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":29,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Introduction to Psychological Research\",\"author\":\"OpenStax College\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/Sr8Ev5Og@5.48:QKvTPo6D@4\/Introduction\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Download for free at http:\/\/cnx.org\/content\/col11629\/latest\/.\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Modification, adaptation, and original content\",\"author\":\"Sonja Ann Miller for Lumen Learning\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"Understanding Driver Distration\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"American Psychological Association\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XToWVxS_9lA&list=PLxf85IzktYWJ9MrXwt5GGX3W-16XgrwPW&index=9\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"Psychological Research - Crash Course Psychology #2\",\"author\":\"Hank Green\",\"organization\":\"CrashCourse\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hFV71QPvX2I\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"c7c22ddc-3d12-4369-9dca-a5abdc6451ab","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-36","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":35,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/36","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/36\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6370,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/36\/revisions\/6370"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/35"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/36\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=36"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=36"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-abnormalpsych\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}