Which of the following is a valid research finding when evaluating psychological studies?

• A. A study reports that participants who received cognitive behavioral therapy showed a statistically significant reduction in anxiety symptoms compared to a control group (p $<0.05$).
• B. A study concludes that a new drug is effective without providing any data or statistical analysis.
• C. A study finds a correlation between two variables but states that this proves causation without further experimental evidence.
• D. A study claims that all individuals will experience the same outcome regardless of treatment, based on anecdotal evidence.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a valid research finding in psychology typically involves empirical evidence supported by appropriate statistical analysis.
2. Recognize that reporting a statistically significant result means the study has used statistical tests to determine that the observed effect is unlikely due to chance, often indicated by a p-value less than 0.05, written as \(p < 0.05\).
3. Identify that simply concluding effectiveness without data or statistical support is not valid because it lacks empirical evidence.
4. Know that correlation between two variables does not imply causation; valid conclusions about causation require controlled experimental designs or additional evidence.
5. Acknowledge that anecdotal evidence or claims that all individuals will have the same outcome without rigorous data are not scientifically valid findings.