Sunday, September 1, 2013

PSY480 Wk 1 DQ's




Wk 1 DQ's
Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following discussion question by clicking Reply.  
* Remember to cite and reference all sources, in accordance with APA guidelines.  Refer to the APA Reference and Citation Generator in the Center for Writing Excellence for further guidance, or contact me with any questions.

Wk 1 DQ 1:
What events and which individuals do you perceive as having made the most significant contributions to the development of Clinical Psychology in recent times?  What are your reasons for choosing these individuals/events?
My personal opinion of recent events that were most significant to the development of Clinical Psychology would be The Boulder Conference, and the publications of the DSM-I and Ethical Standards.  I believe that the Boulder conference was important because it was a pivotal point of professionals coming together to figure out how best to provide care and treat patients, particularly war veterans.  They pooled their ideas and came up with standards for training and practice for higher level psychological education training; many of these standards are still being used nowadays (Plante, 2011).
The publication of the DSM-I in 1952 was another important contribution to the development of Clinical Psychology.  It was not only helpful for practitioners in helping to reference all the various disorders, but it also created somewhat of a standard of diagnosing, with so many referencing the same publication.  Additionally, having the Ethical Standards published, was also another huge help for practitioners; these standards help ensure a high quality of responsibility and accountability of behavior during research, clinical practice, or any interaction with the public (Plante, 2011).
With regards to the most significant persons contributing to the development of Clinical Psychology in recent times I would choose Carl Rogers and B. F. Skinner.  Rogers was a major player in the area of the Humanistic approach, but more important was his contribution to the field with client-centered therapy, which I believe is one of the most important concepts that a great clinical psychologist can practice.  In the following years, another great contribution was B. F. Skinner, in the area of The Behavioral Approach.  His contributions to behavioral therapy are enormous, especially in the development of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is highly used in clinical psychology nowadays (Plante, 2011).


Wk 1 DQ 2:
Why is research needed in Clinical Psychology? 
      According to Plante (2011) research is the very foundation of clinical psychology, the purpose being to provide answers about many facets of human behavior and treatments of related conditions, which makes it one of the most important aspects of the whole field (Plante, 2011). Part of the steps to higher education degrees in the field of psychology, and any subsequent practice in the field, require many classes and hours studying research reports and conducting or participating in various research projects.  New information about behaviors and personalities is learned through research and communicated to the professional community through journals and research reports so even if the individual is not going to go in a research heavy area, it is imperative to understand the process of research and have experience in it so as to better understand the information given to them and be able to apply it in their particular practice or use of psychology.  Research is also very important to the future, in regards to bettering techniques and treatments, as well as developing a better understanding of human behaviors (Plante, 2011).
What must clinicians consider before accepting, using, and applying specific research studies? 
      The first thing a clinician must have is a very thorough understanding of the research process, most specifically the scientific method, by which almost all research is conducted. Another important point is to remain as objective as possible until all the facts have been presented about the study and to be as educated about the subject and various aspects as possible. Additionally, the clinician must determine if the research is valid to their practice and if the techniques or approaches will be something they can learn and use with their clients, if they determine it is appropriate. And finally, they should not just focus on one particular study, but look for similar studies and compare results and become fully educated on the subject before deciding to accept, use, and/or apply the information from the studies (Plante, 2011).
What makes research more or less trustworthy? 
      Not all research is to be equally trusted.  For research to be called trustworthy, it must adhere to certain specifications and procedures, most importantly the process of scientific method.  Another way to determine if the research is trustworthy or not is to either find more research on the exact same issue or parameters and if the results are similar or the same then it is likely trustworthy.  There should also be measures in place for validity and reliability to calculate the quality of the research. 
What could impact the ability to generalize results?
      Generalizing the results of a study is done through external validity.  To be able to generalize the results, the analysis must show that the results of each study have the same outcome and would essentially be universal in any further studies with the exact same parameters.  This can be done through obtaining or conducting several different studies from different facilities to make sure that the controls or control group are exactly the same in all parameters of the case group.  Another issue that could affect the generalization would the results that are not able to be matched and must be excluded from the final analysis.  And finally, one of the biggest issues that could affect the generalization is if the sample is not something that is common or that represents the population in a correct way (Carlson & Morrison, 2009).
References

Plagiarism disclaimer/Note to cheaters
Plagiarism is stealing someone’s work and claiming it as your own without giving them credit. It is lying and cheating, both which are very wrong, and comes with consequences. Not only is it wrong to steal what I have worked so hard on, but if you submit your paper to your school and are caught plagiarizing, you may be subject to some very serious consequences; getting a failing grade on the paper or for the whole class, being expelled from school, and many more potentially serious prosecutions.

I have taken the time to post my papers in an effort to help and guide those who are struggling in their class.  Many times I didn’t understand things clearly and looking at other people’s examples of work sometimes was the catalyst to my success.  I have taken the time to include the references I used for each assignment so please make sure to look them up and utilize them properly.  Please do not disrespect me or ruin your chance at continuing to achieve your education and life goals by choosing to plagiarize. Thank you.

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