The Importance of Controlled Research Trials in Abnormal Psychology

 The Importance of Controlled Research Trials in Abnormal Psychology

Researchers in abnormal psychology are often interested in learning which treatments work for specific disorders. One way to do this is to conduct controlled research trials. In a controlled research trial, participants are randomly assigned to two or more groups. One group receives the treatment being studied, while the other group(s) receive a placebo or no treatment. The placebo is a fake treatment that looks and feels like the real treatment, but it does not contain any active ingredients. This type of study design helps to ensure that any differences between the groups are due to the treatment and not to other factors, such as the participants' expectations or the natural course of the disorder.

There are two main types of controlled research trials:

1. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for testing the effectiveness of treatments. In an RCT, participants are randomly assigned to the treatment group or the control group. This helps to ensure that the groups are as similar as possible, except for the treatment they receive.
2. Case-control studies compare people who have a disorder (the cases) to people who do not have the disorder (the controls). The researchers then look for differences between the two groups, such as differences in their exposure to a particular treatment.

Controlled research trials are an important tool for evaluating the effectiveness of treatments for abnormal psychology. They help to ensure that the treatments that are being used are actually effective and that they are not simply due to the placebo effect or other factors.

Resources

 Hooley, J. M., Nock, M. K., & Butcher, J. N. (2019). Abnormal Psychology (18th ed.). Pearson             Education (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780135191033