Chapter 3 - Research

Research Skeptism

- Research in media is often oversimplified

- Research findings are conflicting

- Experts often disagree

- Recommendations differ

- Findings dismissed

The Research Process

Epidemiological Research

- Incidence (new cases of the disorder), prevalence (new and old cases), and co-occurrence (comorbidity)

- Helps us understand the nature of the disorder

What are correlates, risks, and causes in child mental health research?

They identify factors associated with increases or decreases in disorders and what contributes to their development.

What is a moderator variable?

A factor that influences the direction or strength of the relationship between two variables.

Think of a “volume knob” or “filter”.

It changes the strength or direction of the relationship between two things.

Example of a moderator?

Instagram use → social comparison → self-esteem moderates the effect.

Instagram use → Social comparison.

But whether that lowers self-esteem depends on self-esteem level.

Self-esteem is the moderator (it decides how much or if Instagram affects you).

What is a mediator variable?

A factor that explains the indirect pathway between two variables.

Think of a “middle step”.

Explains how or why one thing leads to another.

Example of a mediator?

Being tired → passive aggression → arguments (tiredness leads to arguments through passive aggression).

Being tired doesn’t directly cause arguments.

Instead: Tired → Passive-aggressive → Arguments.

Passive-aggressive is the mediator (the middle step that explains it).

Why is demographic data important in child mental health research?

It allows researchers to see which types of children are studied and helps verify if consistent outcomes appear across different groups

When finding consistent data in different groups, it is good research to see the same type of outcomes

What are outcomes in child mental health research?

They are the short-term and long-term results of disorders or treatments.

Why must researchers be familiar with development when studying outcomes?

Because children's developmental stages influence how disorders appear and change over time.

What are the two main ways outcomes are studied?

Longitudinal: following the same children over time.

Cross-sectional: comparing children of different ages at the same time.

What is the goal of interventions in child mental health research?

To identify which treatments are most effective for specific disorders.

What is treatment efficacy?

Whether a treatment works under well-controlled, research conditions.

What is treatment effectiveness?

Whether a treatment works in real-world clinical practice, outside of controlled settings.

What is standardization in research?

Using consistent standards (e.g., all research assistants follow the same script and procedures).

What is reliability in research?

The consistency of a measurement or test.

What is internal consistency (a type of reliability)?

Whether items on the same test/questionnaire give similar results (they agree with each other).

What is test–retest reliability?

Whether a test gives consistent results over time when taken again.

What is validity in research?

Whether a test or measure actually measures what it is supposed to measure.

What is internal validity?

How well a study controls extraneous factors so we can be confident the treatment caused the effect (e.g., same diagnosis, same treatment, controlled environment)

What is external validity?

How well study results generalize to the real world, outside of the study setting.

What are descriptive studies in child mental health research?

Studies that describe behaviors, symptoms, or situations without manipulating variables.

What is observation as a research method?

Watching children or adults in natural or lab settings.

Weakness: People may act differently if they know they are being observed.

What is a survey?

A method of collecting data from many people quickly, often with questionnaires.

Weakness: Responses may be biased — people often answer the way they think researchers want.

What is a case study?

An in-depth study of one individual or small group over time.

Strength: Provides rich, detailed information.

Weakness: Hard to generalize findings to larger populations.

What are comparative studies?

Studies that compare one group with a disorder to another group without it.

What are experimental studies?

Research that examines the effect of manipulating one variable (independent) on another (dependent).

Independent Variable (IV)

What the researcher changes. (the cause)

Dependent Variable (DV)

What the researcher measures. (the effect)

What are the key features of experimental studies?

Random assignment

Representative sample

Replication (repeating to confirm results)

Types of Experimental Studies

- Analogue (pretend version

- Natural Experiments (real-life version)

What is an analogue experiment?

Testing a variable under conditions that approximate natural situations.

(pretend version)

What is a natural experiment?

Comparing groups based on already existing conditions (no manipulation by the researcher).

Key feature: Often uses stratified random sampling to make groups comparable.

Sratified Random Sampling

Dividing participants into subgroups (such as by age, gender, or SES) helps ensure fair comparisons.

What is a longitudinal study?

Research that follows the same individuals over time to track patterns and changes.

What are the two types of longitudinal designs?

Prospective: Start with children, follow them into adulthood.

Retrospective: Start with adults, ask them to recall childhood experiences.

What are the strengths and limitations of longitudinal studies?

Strengths: Show patterns of change, individual differences.

Limitations: Costly, time-consuming, and people drop out (attrition).

What is a cross-sectional study?

Research that compares groups of different ages at one point in time (no follow-up).

Strength: No attrition. (dropouts)

Weakness: Cohort effects — differences may be due to being born in different time periods, not just age.

What is a correlation in research?

It shows the extent to which two variables are related.

Positive: More sleep → Higher test scores.

Negative: More social media → Lower self-esteem.

None: Shoe size ↔️ Intelligence.

What is the range of correlation values?

Ranges from -1.0 to +1.0.

+1.0 = perfect positive relationship.

-1.0 = perfect negative relationship.

0 = no relationship.

What is the main limitation of correlation?

It cannot establish causality (doesn’t prove one thing causes the other).

What is informed consent?

Participants (or their guardians) must be told the nature, risks, and benefits of the study before agreeing.

What is assent in child research?

A child's agreement to participate, in addition to parental consent.

What is voluntary participation?

Participants choose freely to join and can withdraw at any time.