Course Syllabus
Learning area
Applied Experimental Psychological Sciences
Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding
• Clinical psychological sciences: Methods and areas of investigation
• Research designs for treatment evaluation
• Experimental psychopathology: Investigating abnormal behavior, cognition, and emotion
Applying knowledge and understanding
• Understanding, analysis, and evaluation of research designs in clinical psychology
• Identifying and analyzing the critical elements of research designs for treatment evaluation
• Applying experimental paradigms for the investigation of abnormal behavior, cognition, and emotion
Contents
Clinical psychological research is often concerned with investigating the causes of abnormal behavior, cognition, and emotion or with its treatment. A range of study designs can be used to identify causes of illness and to evaluate treatments, and Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) have rapidly become the gold standard for evidence-based treatments. In this course we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different treatment evaluation designs. Furthermore, experimental psychopathology represents a subfield of psychological science aimed at elucidating the processes underlying abnormal behavior. In this course we will review key elements of experimental psychopathology research and its methods. We will analyze different experimental paradigms, with a particular focus on Experience Sampling Methods (ESMs).
Detailed program
- Methodological and design considerations central to the scientific evaluation of treatment efficacy and effectiveness
- Strengths and weaknesses of different treatment evaluation designs (recent developments in psychotherapy research will be used as examples)
- Experimental psychopathology as a way to elucidate the processes underlying abnormal behavior.
- Methodological approaches and paradigms employed in experimental psychopathology research.
- The Experience Sampling Method (ESM) as a way to improve our understanding of how psychopathological symptoms unfold over time in everyday life.
Prerequisites
A background in abnormal psychology and basic knowledge of psychotherapeutic interventions will help in understanding the course content. Students lacking such basic knowledge are encouraged to ask for a list of basic references.
Teaching methods
The course will consist of lessons, classwork, discussion on scientific papers, group works and assignments. Smartphone apps (e.g., Socrative) that allow students to respond in real time to open or closed questions will be used. All course material (e.g., slides, readings) are made available on the e-learning website of the course, so that also non-attending students can use it.
Assessment methods
The exam will verify the level of mastery of the course contents with special attention to:
- Methods and research designs for treatment evaluation;
- Methods and research designs in experimental psychopathology;
- Ability to elaborate course contents;
- Ability to analyze a scientific paper in the field of clinical psychology.
The exam will consist of multiple choice questions and open-ended questions on the course topics (with optional
oral examination).
For students attending lessons an ad hoc examination will be offered. This will consist in:
- Mid-term assignment: Project work on development and presentation of a research project in clinical psychology
(20% of final grade)
- End-term assignment: Critical analysis of a scientific paper (30% of final grade) consisting in an individual essay.
- End-term multiple choice test on course content (50% of final grade)
Textbooks and Reading Materials
The bibliography will be provided at the beginning of the course and published in the course web-site.
Key information
Staff
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Emanuele Preti