Write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.
When research focuses on a new phenomenon of interest, descriptive statistics are often used to assist in better defining the variable. For example, road rage disorder is not an officially recognized disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), even though it may be possible to find statistics related to this interesting phenomenon.
For this posting, search psychology journals or government-based Web sites to find statistically presented information on a psychological situation that is new or controversial. Suggestions include the following:
- Road rage
- Bipolar depression
- Electro-convulsive therapy for the treatment of depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to combat veterans
- Pornography addiction
