Abnormal Psychology Discussion 2 Reply

Question 1 

Hi. I agree with you that the statement "correlation indicates causation" is false and based on personal opinion rather than verifiable facts. The statement points to the suggestion that eating organic food can lead to autism. I agree with you that a correlation means two things are present at the same time, whereas causation means a thing is influencing the other to take place (Kring & Johnson, 2018). I also agree with the example you have given regarding causation about a child getting worse grades in school after being denied attention by his or her parents. It is correct to imply that if the child finds himself or herself into more trouble after performing poorly, then that becomes a correlation. It is right to, therefore, state that a correlation is caused by two unrelated events taking place at the same time, such as the child failing and misbehaving at school (Kring & Johnson, 2018). I agree with you, thus that an experiment ought to have been performed to investigate the presence of causation or correlation in the case of organic food causing autism. 

Question 2 

Hi. It is true to say that research that is missing randomization, having demand characteristics, and lacking internal validity tampers with the results of the study adversely. I agree with you that randomization is defined as the random assignment of treatment. The random selection of the research participants prevents the selection bias and keeps the research away from selection bias as well (Kring & Johnson, 2018). I agree with you that internal validity is the extent to which the experimental effect can be attributed to the independent variable. Primarily, the internal validity, therefore, proves the causation that exists between the dependent and the independent variable. I agree with you on the example regarding the difference in academic performance for the students living in dorms versus those who live in apartments. In such a case, it is right to say that in the case of low internal validity, living in dorms or apartments would not affect the performance of students. It is correct to state that demand characteristics should be taken into consideration (Kring & Johnson, 2018). Demand characteristics are the situation where participants of research behave in a particular manner based on them guessing what data the researcher wants to collect. I agree with your example that a research participant in a mood vs. happiness experiment may relate more outside activities with a better mood and agree with the results even if they are happier while staying indoors. 

Reference 

Kring, A. M., & Johnson, S. L. (2018).  Abnormal psychology: The science and treatment of 

psychological disorders . John Wiley & Sons.