Research methods in clinical psychology: research protocol, research topic, experimental design, sampling, methods and strategies of evaluation, biases, ethical issues, dissemination of results.
Psycho-diagnostic evaluation and testing: diagnostic interview and clinical observation; structured and semi-structured interviews; psycho-diagnostic tools.
Efficacy and effectiveness of psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions.
Kazdin AE (1996). Metodi di ricerca in psicologia clinica. Il Mulino. IF NOT AVAILABLE YOU MAY USE Kazdin AE (2014). Research design in clinical psychology. Fourth edition. Pearson New International Edition. ISBN 978-1-292-04278-7
Schiffer D (2011). Attraverso il microscopio. Le basi del ragionamento clinico. Springer Verlag.
The materials for the examinations are: compulsory books, the material given during the lessons, the content of the lessons. The slides of the course will be avaiable on Moodle.
Learning Objectives
a) General aims: knowledge of methods of assessment in clinical psychology.
b) Specific aims: knowledge and use of the main methods of clinical assessment and evaluation of psychological discomfort, get used to the concepts of efficacy and effectiveness and knowledge of the methods to verify them.
c) Expected results of learning (knowing, knowing how to do, knowing how to be): knowledge of the main methods of clinical assessment and evaluation of psychological discomfort, knowing how to properly use some instruments of clinical assessment, having critical capacity to analyze the methods of research.
Prerequisites
none
Teaching Methods
explanatory-participate method and workshops.
Further information
EVALUATION METHOD: oral exam, with scoring.
Attendance to the course is non compulsory but suggested.
Type of Assessment
oral examination
Course program
Methods of research in clinical psychology: choice of the research topic and of the experimental design, methods and strategies of evaluation, sources of biases and distortions, ethics and guidelines to run a research, results dissemination. The students will produce a research protocol on a topic of their interest working in small groups.
Psycho-diagnostic evaluation and testing: diagnostic interview and clinical observation; structured and semi-structured interviews; psycho-diagnostic tools: choice and responsible use of tests, self- and hetero-administered symptomatological test, personality questionnaires, projective test, IQ test (the students will be trained to use specific auto- and hetero-administered rating scales.
Efficacy and effectiveness of psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions: definition of efficacy and effectiveness, research design for the evaluation of interventions, the randomized clinical trials, difficulties in applying the principles of randomized controlled studies.