In cognitive psychology, the most convincing evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy comes from which type of research study?

• A. Anecdotal reports from therapists
• B. Randomized controlled trials
• C. Correlational studies
• D. Case studies

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the key terms in the question: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a psychological treatment, and the question asks about the type of research study that provides the most convincing evidence for its effectiveness.
2. Review the characteristics of each research study type: Anecdotal reports are personal stories, correlational studies examine relationships between variables without establishing causation, case studies provide detailed information about a single case, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involve randomly assigning participants to treatment or control groups to test causality.
3. Recognize that the strongest evidence for treatment effectiveness comes from studies that can establish cause and effect, which is a hallmark of randomized controlled trials.
4. Recall that RCTs minimize bias by randomly assigning participants and often include control groups, making their findings more reliable and generalizable compared to other study types.
5. Conclude that among the options, randomized controlled trials provide the most convincing evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy.