Week3Assignment

AshfordUniversity:PSYC635

ProblemsinDesigninganExperimentalResearchStudy

MelissaHall

Dr.Goldston

February7,2017
 Personality variables help to explain why certain people are drawn to substance abuse. In
this regard, researchers have studied high levels of negative affect and an enduring desire
for arousal and increased positive affect. Drug use in general has been found to correlate
with anti-social personality disorder (Ball, Carroll, & Rounsaville, 1994). Rebelliousness
and high levels of aggression have been found to be related to substance abuse (Anderson
et al, 1997; Davison & Neale, 2001). Lavelle, Hammersley, & Forsyth, 1991) showed
that drug user were shrewd, tough-minded, anxious, streetwise and experience-seeking.
Further, Ekstrand (1985) reported that drug users seemed to be immature, compulsive and
possess low self-esteem and are incapable of managing failure. Also Shedler & Block
(1990) indicate that frequent drug users were maladjusted, socially alienated, and
deficient in impulse control and manifestly distressed. Conversely, abstainers were
observed to be anxious, emotionally constricted and lacking in social skills.

Why does one particular individual become dependent on drugs while another, exposed to

the same environment and environment and experiences, does not? As progress in

understanding the role of genetics in various conditions and diseases increases, there has

been a realization that there is likely to be a genetic component to substance abuse and

addiction. That is, inherited differences among individuals affect their response to drugs.

To date, much of the work done in this field is related to alcoholism, less is known about

the genetics of other drugs of abuse.

Specific inherited risk markers for alcoholism and other substance abuse can be

identified. A risk marker is a biological trait or characteristic that is associated with a given

condition. Thus, if an individual is found to have an identified marker for substance abuse,

he or she is at risk for developing a drug dependency. To date, no biological characteristic

has been clearly identified as being a risk marker for either alcoholism or substance abuse,

although evidence suggests some possible candidates (Biological Components of

Substance Abuse and Addiction, n.d.). The identification of a valid and reliable risk

marker could provide important information about the fundamental mechanisms underlying

substance abuse and addiction and would be an invaluable aid in diagnosis and treatment.

The existence of heritable influences on normal and pathological consumption of alcohol is

sup- ported by results from family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies as well as

research on animal models.

When we conduct observational studies, the individuals are observed the exact way they
appear in real life. All the necessary measurements are made to study only those aspects
that are of interest to the analyst. All measurements take place without imposing
influence on the sample responses. The individuals do not know that they are being
observed.

Observational studies do not intend to monitor the effects of treatments on the

individuals, and they do not impose any form of intervention. The observational units are
fixed, and, therefore, cannot be modified. The sample must be disturbed as little as
possible while you gather information.

Observational data can be useful for drug safety research, but accurate measurement of
adverse health outcomes is paramount. Best practices for identify- ing important health
outcomes of interest (HOI) are needed. Objectives To evaluate the extent to which health
out- come definitions commonly used in observational database studies identify cases
that are consistent with expert panel assessment of the underlying data(Hansen, Gray,
Fox, Hollingsworth, Gao, Zeng, 2013).

Experiments are carefully controlled studies, which test and compare variables,

treatments, or processes. Researchers deliberately impose treatment or treatments

individuals and observe their responses. An experiment is a source of convincing data

when it comes to understanding the cause and effect relations between variables.
 References

Biological Components of Substance Abuse and Addiction (n.d.). Retrieved

February 6, 2017

Hansen, R. A., Gray, M. D., Fox, B. I., Hollingsworth, J. C., Gao, J., & Zeng, P.

(2013). How well do various health outcome definitions identify appropriate cases in

observational studies?. Drug Safety, 3627-32. doi:10.1007/s40264-013-0104-0