Guidance on the clinical psychology Research MCQ exam

Overview

Broadly, this exam aims to test knowledge and understanding of research methods and statistics, as they
are used in psychological research. In order to aid your preparation for the exam, areas of knowledge that
the exam is likely to cover, and examples of questions, are provided below.

Please note that not all topics may be covered and it is possible that the exam will include questions on
additional, related areas. Furthermore, the format of the questions may vary somewhat from the examples
below, e.g. in relation to how many response options you are given and whether or not you are told how
many answers to select for each question.

Finally, it is worth holding in mind that the exam is held under relatively tight time conditions, so you will
need to be able to answer questions quickly. If you have a disability that may impact your speed or exam
performance, please contact the course you will be sitting the exam with about the possibility of a time
extension.

Some research texts that may be helpful are: Quantitative Psychological Research: The Complete
Student's Companion by David Clark-Carter and Research Methods in Clinical Psychology: An Introduction
for Students and Practitioners Paperback by Chris Barker, Nancy Pistrang and Robert Elliott.

Domains & Question Examples

Naming, selecting and interpreting quantitative research designs, including meta-analysis

Example question
Research that collects data at a single time-point is known as:
A. Cross sectional design
B. Within subjects design
C. Repeated measures design
D. An ABA design

Types of variables and levels of measurement

Example question
In research the outcome variable is also known as …
A. The Independent Variable
B. The Dependent Variable
C. The Predictor Variable
D. The Extraneous Variable

The principles of statistics, the assumptions on which statistical tests are based, sampling, and the
preparation of data for analysis

Example question
Which assumption needs to be satisfied for a t-test to be valid?
A. All data were collected by the same researcher
B. The data are skewed
C. The data have an underlying normal distribution
D. There are more than 10 participants in the study

1
Selection, interpretation and presentation (including graphically) of descriptive and inferential
statistics that are used in psychological research

Example question
Which indicates the strongest evidence to reject the null hypothesis?
A. p=0.027
B. p=0.734
C. p=0.001
D. p=1.000

Power, Type I and II errors, and being able to understand biases and limitations with studies

Example question
Statistical power is used to determine …
A. How many participants you need in a study
B. The correct statistical test
C. The likelihood of a Type 1 Error
D. The number of tests needed to get a significant result

Measurement and psychometrics

Example question
Face validity is …
A. How much you agree with a response
B. A way of making a diagnosis
C. The extent that a measure appears valid
D. The level of agreement that exists between researchers

Qualitative methods

Example question
A researcher wants to explore in depth a small group of participants’ experiences of receiving a diagnosis of
depression. Which approach would be most appropriate?
A. Interpretative phenomenological analysis
B. Thematic analysis
C. Grounded theory
D. Framework analysis

Research ethics and patient and public involvement (PPI)

Example question
Participant information sheets should include
A. The purpose of the study
B. The researcher’s personal mobile number
C. A statement that participation is voluntary
D. The reasons why people have been asked to participate

Definitions and assumptions underpinning research designs and methods

Example question
Which of the following statements are TRUE
A. Correlations do not determine causality
B. Clinical significance is no different than statistical significance
C. Control groups always receive no interventions
D. In an experiment, the independent variable is manipulated by the experiment

2
Comprehension and interpretation of information about a sample research study

Example questions
An RCT compared a new therapy for psychosis with a ‘treatment as usual’ (TAU) control group. Quality of life
(QoL) was the primary outcome, with higher scores indicating better QoL. The QoL data met the necessary
assumptions and were analysed using an ANOVA, with the factors time (pre intervention vs. post
intervention) and group (new-therapy vs. TAU). The mean QoL scores for the two groups prior to intervention
were 35 and 34. After the intervention, the new-therapy group had a mean score of 75 while the TAU control
group had a mean of 33.

Which one of the following demonstrates that the change in QoL scores over time significantly differed
between the two groups?
A. A significant main effect of group
B. A significant main effect of time
C. A significant group by time interaction
D. All of these effects being non-significant

Which follow-up test could you use to confirm that the QoL scores for the intervention group differ to those
for the control group, at the post-intervention time point?
A. Cohen’s kappa
B. An independent sample t-test
C. A Wilcoxon signed rank test for matched pairs
D. A paired sample t-test

Assuming that the correct test shows that this difference is significant, it is reasonable to conclude that
A. The specific techniques used in the new therapy reduce QoL
B. The generic factors present in the new therapy (e.g. therapeutic alliance) reduce QoL
C. The new therapy seems effective, but it is not clear which components of it improve QoL
D. The generic factors present in the new therapy improve QoL

When presenting their findings the authors also report the ‘effect size’. The main reason they include this is
A. To allow the findings to be included in subsequent meta-analyses
B. To indicate the direction of the effect
C. To highlight the level of statistical significance of the effect
D. To help tease apart the influence of generic and specific factors

In order for the findings of this study to be generalised to other people with psychosis, the most important
thing is that
A. A sufficiently large sample has been used to provide adequate power
B. The sample is sufficiently representative of people with psychosis
C. The measure of QoL has good test re-test reliability
D. The participants were not taking medication during the RCT