https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269753493…

I’ve included some definitions of clinical terms used in the paper’s introduction. This might help as you read the article:

1. Social anxiety is much more common than many people realize. It includes a desire to be with people in social situations, but feeling uncomfortable due to social awkwardness. It can include not knowing what to say to people in social situations, feeling embarrassed, having symptoms of anxiety, such as heart pounding, sweating, etc., and a concern that others won’t like you or will evaluate you in negative ways. In more severe forms it can cause people to avoid most social situations, even though they want to be with people. In more severe forms, it also is called social anxiety disorder or social phobia.
2. Comorbidity means that two problems occur together, e.g., that internet addiction and depression often occur in the same person.
3. Affective disorders refer to a range of problems, including more mild depression to more severe depression and bipolar illness (sometimes called manic depression).
4. Somatic means experiences of physical discomfort, such as headaches, stomach upset, muscle aches, feeling physically sick, etc. in response to stress.

QUESTIONS BELOW

1. This report builds on previous research, as illustrated in the theory-research-data cycle first introduced in your text in Chapter 1 (p. 13). Consider the information in the introduction to this article. Think about how the previous research is presented to provide the reasons for this particular study. Note that the authors do not specifically state the theory, but tell you how they believe different concepts are related. In two or three sentences, what is the rationale that is informing this research study and design. (3 points)
2. What are the three hypotheses in this research? (3 points)
3. The two studies described in this article are association claims. According to your text, how do you know these are association studies? (2 points)
4. What three criteria would be needed to establish a causal claim in these studies? (3 points)
5. One criterion for a causal claim, which also is needed for an association claim, is established for Hypothesis 1. What is that criterion? (1 point)
6. How would this study design (you can use Study 1) need to be changed to establish the other two criteria for a causal claim. (2 points)
7. This article does not tell us much about how the participants were recruited. In fact, the first time I read through the article, I totally missed what they say for Study 1. They tell us at the bottom of page 3, column 2 that the questionnaires were delivered over the internet to groups and forums for people with internet addictions and social anxiety. I think they are saying that these were different groups, some for social anxiety and some for internet addiction, but I am not sure.

A. What is the main question you ask for external validity? (1 point)

B. How does the way participants were recruited for Study 1 affect the external validity of this study? Be specific. (2 points)

8. Your text tells us that with internal validity cannot be established for association claims, because we cannot be sure that other “third” variables are not influencing the relationship among our study variables. What could be two examples of other variables that might be influencing or changing the relationships between our two variables of interest? Note that these are not necessarily discussed in this article. You can use your own ideas and be sure to state how these other factors could influence the relationship among the study variables. (2 points)