3 short questions on research design

Learning Goal: I’m working on a psychology discussion question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

Read each hypothetical study and then try to critique each study by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the research design. Answers should be two paragraphs long site sources in apa with in text citations

1. A teenager with severe obsessions (unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (uncontrolled, ritualistic behaviors) tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head. He survived the shooting and discovered that all his obsessions and compulsions were gone. A psychologist did in-depth interviews with this person and linked the area of brain damage from the shooting with obsessions and compulsions.

2. Ninety adults with chronic abdominal pain keep records on the frequency and intensity of their pains. Family members are interviewed concerning their experiences of illness, family conflict, and behaviors that encourage expression of pain. It is discovered that subjects with highest frequency and intensity of pain reports have families in which illness is common and family members engage in behaviors that encourage pain expression.

3. Thirty phobic and thirty non-phobic individuals are shown slides of either fear inducing scenes or non-fear inducing scenes. Measures of brain functioning (PET scan and electroencephalogram) show higher levels of arousal in phobics, but only when they observe the fear inducing slides.