Review of APA Statistical Guidelines: "Predictive Value of Alexithymia: A Prospective Study in Somatizing Patients"
The August 1999 article in the American Psychologist discusses proper statistical methods and how they should be utilized in journal articles. Using some of the guidelines put forth in the article, I will attempt to show the extent to which Bach & Bach (1995) follow these principles.
The article in question investigates the role of alexithymia as a predictor of persistent somatization. The study was conducted over a two-year period with the consent of thirty patients exhibiting somatoform and anxiety disorders. The personality trait of alexithymia is
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No, not really, the population must be assumed by the subject matter. We are to assume that the study is concerned with people who have a somatoform disorder or anxiety.
Sample
The sample is definitely outlined well in the article. The authors make it known to us that the participants for the study were volunteers from a previous study about somatoform disorders. They clearly state the age ranges, sex, and education of all the patients.
Assignment
For the purposes of this study, nonrandom assignment was used. This was not stated but rather an obvious point. The procedure called for the participants to all receive the same treatment throughout the study. A control group was not used so suspicions must be raised as to the validity of the research.
Variables
In terms of variables, the study uses a simple approach to tackle this task. Each patient was grouped by whether or not they exhibited a certain diagnostic disorder at the time of the testing. They were either a yes or a no for five different types of disorders.
Instruments
As far as questionnaires, these are the only procedural devices used in the study. The authors make it very clear as to what psychometric tests were used. They describe each one and its purpose. The tests used were the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Whiteley Index, the Hopkins
Largely, the entire test proved thought provoking as this was a subjective test. Meaning everyone's values are not the same, everyone is not driven by the same motives. This could be problematic in obtaining valid results. It has given this writer cause to carefully examine assessments that are being administered clients. Reliability and validity have a great importance in how counselor should utilize assessments and can assist in finding appropriate instruments in order to be more effective with clients.
· What conclusions did the study reach? Are the conclusions appropriate? Why or why not?
A researcher has designed a study to test the effects of different types of individual psycho-therapy on people's levels of anxiety. She has randomly placed people into one of three groups: a behavioral treatment group, a psycho-dynamic treatment group, or a no-treatment control group. She then measures people's level of anxiety after the treatment.
2. What data and method does the author use to evaluate this intervention? Why was that data and method used?
Based upon information provided this study was appropriate conducted as a purposeful sampling but, this study
The results of main affects for assigned clients in the control group: gender (F(1,1.935) = 0.015, p = .907, η2 = .051), age
The sampling of the observed subjects was obtained through the sampling design of Quota Sampling. According to Polit and
The study was conducted at Belmont University. The participants are from the introduction to psychology classes on campus. They were granted course credit in return for participating in the study. The age range is approximately 18 to 24, the average being blank #. There were blank # of females, and blank # of males. The study is confidential, everything is anonymous, and their participation was voluntary.
The sample range consists of 154 patients. The strength of this study design study represents in the large number of participants in this study.
The given article uses a rather complex method in order to obtain crude data in the given counties regarding the demographics of the population and to locate the target specimens required to conduct the research. According to Quandt (2009), “the method involves
e. I did not recognize any potential bias introduced by the sampling method used. The researcher states the eligible requirements to participate in the study and the results reveal the significance of the use the patients and the effectiveness.
In qualitative the author included a research design that had eight groups accompanied by patients and health professionals. In quantitative, however, samples of
A group of researchers conducted a study that included two sets of participants to see if and how often lies
However there is no mention in the article if the sample is representative of an epidemiological sample, thus extending this cohort study to a multicentre trial would have empowered various aspects of the study, such as: 1) providing a more precise sample estimate which would more
Nimon, K. (2012). Statistical Assumptions of Substantive Analyses Across the General Linear Model: A Mini-Review. Frontiers in Psychology Front. Psychology, 3(322).