Psychology Research

University of Phoenix Material

Proposal Worksheet

Each team member will pick an article for this worksheet. Replicate these set of questions for each team member for this worksheet.

Team member name:

Citation of article: Rawson, R. A., Huber, A., McCann, M., Shoptaw, S., Farabee, D., Reiber, C., & Ling, W. (2002). A comparison of contingency management and cognitive-behavioral approaches during methadone maintenance treatment for cocaine dependence. Arch Gen Psychiatry,59(9), 817-824

1. What is the author’s goal? Cocaine addiction is very complex to treat. The first line of treatment is normally methadone maintenance, which is not fully effective, as patients remain severely affected by cocaine use. For patients under methadone management, CBT and CM show promising results in reducing the use of cocaine and sustaining positive effects when patients are discharged. In this light, the goal of the authors is comparing the efficacy of CBT- cognitive-behavioral therapy and CM –contingency management when combined and when each is used independently in treating the dependence of cocaine in patients already under methadone maintenance. This also goes for examining if reductions achieved in using cocaine are sustained during follow-ups conducted after treatment is issued.

2. What questions remain unanswered? The study results show that in the first 16 weeks, patients under CM had significant improvement while those in CBT group showed no significant improvement compared to those placed under methadone maintenance only. However, after 26 weeks and during 52nd week follow-up, patient under CBT showed equivalent performance, as those under CM.

The unanswered question is what makes CBT group catch up with CM group response at 52 weeks while the group had already showed delay in achieving the response?

3. If I had to design an experiment to test this hypothesis, what would I do? In designing an experiment to test the two questions, I would present the hypotheses and make predictions on the expected outcome. It could be that CBT effectiveness starts taking place after 26 weeks or CM effectiveness slows down after 26 weeks to allow CBT catch up with it. I would then conduct an experimental procedure entailing a systematic way of experimenting science. This would entail selecting cocaine patients, as subjects randomly, dividing them into two and assigning each half to CBT and CM group. Observing patients in CBT and CM groups after 26 weeks keenly to see the changes that account for the increased CBT response. I would create schedules of observation, put controls and use a sample that yields statistical significance.

4. What are the independent, dependent, and control variables? In Rawson, Huber, McCann, Shoptaw, Farabee, Reiber and Ling (2002) the dependent variable include the metabolites of cocaine found in patients urine used to determine efficacy of CBT, CM and sustained cocaine reductions. The independent variables include CBT and CM, which the researchers introduce to patients under methadone management to see how they would response. The control variable is continuing methadone maintenance treatment in all patients.

After reviewing each team member’s submission, answer the following questions as a team:

1. What is your research question? What is the best approach to treating cocaine addiction?

2. What is your hypothesis? People taken off methadone treatment who continue their other treatments will have greater success at beating their addiction than people who continue with methadone.