Abnormal Psychology

CHAPTER 5 Researching Abnormality

depression and breakups occur completely independently of each other. Many

of the depressed students coming to the counseling center have had prior

bouts of depression. In such cases, a breakup would not necessarily be the

culprit, because those individuals might have had another bout of depression

regardless. Alternatively, there may be a causal connection between break-

ing up and depression—but it could go either way, with either one leading to

the other.

To determine whether your idea that the breaking up of a relationship

can lead to depression is correct, you would use the scientifi c method, which

is the process of gathering and interpreting facts that can lead to the formula-

tion of a new theory or the validation or refutation of an existing theory. The

steps of the scientifi c method normally are: observing relevent phenomena;

identifying a question to be answered; developing a hypothesis that might an-

swer the question; collecting new observations to test the hypothesis; drawing

on the evidence to formulate a theory; and testing the theory.

The Scientifi c Method

Suppose that your casual observation is correct: Students who seek help for

depression aremore likely to have had a relationship breakup before the depression

began. Knowing this, you are interested in understanding why some people get clin-

ically depressed after a breakup (like Carlos), whereas other people bounce back.

You may even have a hunch about why. But the scientifi c method of investigation

relies on more than one individual’s impressions and hunches. How can the scien-

tifi c method help researchers learn more about the association between breakups in

relationships and depression or, more generally, about how a psychological disorder

such as depression arises?

Collect Initial Observations

The fi rst step in the scientifi c method is observation. Sometimes the initial observa-

tions lead immediately to the next steps, but other times they lead the researcher to

describe the phenomenon more carefully and systematically by collecting data. Data

are methodical observations, which include numerical measurements of phenom-

ena. Scientifi c facts are based on such data. Data about depression and breakups,

for instance, might include responses to a questionnaire on which people who have

recently gone through a breakup rate their moods and functioning.

In most scientifi c fi elds, properly collected data can be replicatedunder iden-

tical or nearly identical conditions: Any other researcher, using the same collec-

tion method, should obtain a second set of data with the same characteristics as

the fi rst. For example, if a researcher at another college’s counseling center gave the

same questionnaire about mood and functioning to a different group of students

who’d recently suffered a breakup, that researcher would be trying to replicate

the data.

Researchers collect data about variables: measurable characteristics of the object

or event of interest. In the fi eld of abnormal psychology, variables include activity

in particular brain areas, hormone levels, the number of symptoms reported, the

variety of abnormal behaviors exhibited, and types of observed interactions among

family members. The list of variables of interest to researchers in psychopathology

is long, as you will discover in this book. Variables can be categorical (for instance,

someone either has or doesn’t have an older sibling) or on a continuum (for in-

stance, someone can have a phobia that can be characterized from mild to severe).

Identify a Question

The process of explaining a set of observations begins by asking a specifi c question.

Let’s say that your observations have led you to ask this question: “Why do some peo-

ple get depressed after a relationship ends, rather than bounce back?” The question

identifi es an area where properly conducted research can point toward an answer.

Rachel Watson/Getty Images

Scientists often collect quantitative data (numeri-

cal measurements, such as how many symptoms

someone has, the number of weeks symptoms

have been present, or how many people in the

family have similar symptoms).

Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Corbis

The scientifi c method is used to determine

whether a hypothesis—such as whether a

relationship’s breaking up can lead to

depression—has merit. The process of research

on psychopathology often begins with

observations that lead to a hypothesis about

either the factors that may contribute to

psychological disorders or the aspects of

treatment that may be particularly helpful.

Scientifi c method

The process of gathering and interpreting facts

that can lead to the formulation of a new theory

or the validation or refutation of an existing

theory.

Data

Methodical observations, which include

numerical measurements of phenomena.