Identify The Independent Variable (S) And Dependent Variable, By De Jonghe Et Al. (2004)
1. Identify the independent variable(s) and dependent variable(s)
Both groups of participants in this clinical trial, the psychotherapy group alone and the psychotherapy plus medication group, received psychotherapy but only one group received medication as an adjunct. The independent variable (IV) in this trial is the medication administered to the combined group, psychotherapy is considered a constant variable since both groups received it, and either an increase, decrease, or no change with participant’s depressive symptoms is considered the dependent variable (DV). De Jonghe et al. (2004) sought support for whether or not the IV (medication) would cause a change in the DV (participant’s depressive symptoms).
2. State the author’s goals in your own words and identify the authors’ hypotheses
De Jonghe et al. (2004) primary goal for performing this clinical trial was to empirically identify whether or not psychotherapy in conjunction with psychoactive medication is more efficacious than psychotherapy alone; consequently, furthering “the long-term Depression Research Project of the Mentrum Mental Health Organisation, which studies the relative value of …show more content…
That is, participants received either psychotherapy alone or psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy combined (p. 41). Furthermore, the psychotherapy provided, Short Psychodynamic Supportive Psychotherapy (SPSP), was done so with “no selection criterion applied” (p. 37), for “up to 16 sessions, and audiotaped” (p. 38): The audiotapes were subsequently reviewed weekly by the therapists. For participants assigned to “the combined therapy condition the psychotherapy started within 2 weeks of the start of pharmacotherapy” (p. 38). The medication prescribed followed a predetermined protocol of “four consecutive steps to allow for intolerance or inefficacy” (p. 38) which was adjusted according to how each participant responded to
Both groups of participants in this clinical trial, the psychotherapy group alone and the psychotherapy plus medication group, received psychotherapy but only one group received medication as an adjunct. The independent variable (IV) in this trial is the medication administered to the combined group, psychotherapy is considered a constant variable since both groups received it, and either an increase, decrease, or no change with participant’s depressive symptoms is considered the dependent variable (DV). De Jonghe et al. (2004) sought support for whether or not the IV (medication) would cause a change in the DV (participant’s depressive symptoms).
2. State the author’s goals in your own words and identify the authors’ hypotheses
De Jonghe et al. (2004) primary goal for performing this clinical trial was to empirically identify whether or not psychotherapy in conjunction with psychoactive medication is more efficacious than psychotherapy alone; consequently, furthering “the long-term Depression Research Project of the Mentrum Mental Health Organisation, which studies the relative value of …show more content…
That is, participants received either psychotherapy alone or psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy combined (p. 41). Furthermore, the psychotherapy provided, Short Psychodynamic Supportive Psychotherapy (SPSP), was done so with “no selection criterion applied” (p. 37), for “up to 16 sessions, and audiotaped” (p. 38): The audiotapes were subsequently reviewed weekly by the therapists. For participants assigned to “the combined therapy condition the psychotherapy started within 2 weeks of the start of pharmacotherapy” (p. 38). The medication prescribed followed a predetermined protocol of “four consecutive steps to allow for intolerance or inefficacy” (p. 38) which was adjusted according to how each participant responded to