I would choose to research how the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) affects patient outcomes in bulimia nervosa. In my opinion, this type of treatment is effective in disorders that are often accompanied by self-esteem issues and cognitive biases, and I hope it could be tailored to be even more effective. A scientific approach is more preferable when studying the effects of implementing a specific treatment intervention, as they allow to provide quantifiable and provable results for analysis. Scientific evidence goes beyond casual observation and is evaluated in a systemic manner (Passer, 2020). Thus, for a research in any field of study, a scientific approach is most appropriate.
My research question would be: how CBT compares with other types of treatment of bulimia nervosa – such as psychoanalysis, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and integrative therapy – in regards of successful rehabilitation of patients? Subsequently, the research hypothesis is the following: CBT is a more effective treatment intervention in terms of patient outcomes than psychoanalysis, DBT, and integrative therapy. Thus, the independent variable here is the type of therapy – cognitive behavioral, integrative, dialectical behavior, and psychoanalysis. It is the cause that provides a specific effect which is considered a dependent variable (Posser, 2020). Thus, patient outcomes is the dependent variable that would change with each type of treatment. Independent variable can be operationally defined as a set of specific techniques used for treating bulimia nervosa that belongs to a certain therapy type. In turn, the dependent variable – the patient outcomes – would be operationally defined as number of patients who reported improvements in their condition via self-assessment questionnaires after 20 sessions of therapy.
If the results of the study show that CBT is, in fact, the most effective out of the four discussed types of treatment, it would help working professionals when choosing the treatment plan. Moreover, the study would provide additional evidence of the efficiency of each type of therapy for different patient cases, allowing counselors to make more informed decisions regarding treatment choice. Understanding how different kinds of therapy work in different settings is vital for designing an appropriate treatment plan for each patient.
Reference
Passer, M. (2020). Research Methods (3rd ed.). Macmillan Higher Education.