Most often, analogous studies are used to highlight the nature of psychopathology or therapy. For example, when Watson and Rayner (1920) tried to show how Little Albert could learn to be phobic for white rats, they were constructing an analog of the way they thought real-life phobias were acquired.

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Studies conducted in the laboratory, where control is easier to exert, but whose conditions are said to be “analogous,” or comparable, to real life. 

Analog Research

Trull , T. J., &amp; Prinstein , M. J. (2013). Research Methods in Clinical Psychology . In Clinical Psychology (Eighth, pp. 93–124). Textbook, Wadsworth Cengage Learning . 

Clinical Psychology Eighth Edition 

Although analog research produces more valid results because of the control researchers can exert in the laboratory, there are many disadvantages. For example:
-the degree of similarity between analog and the real thing (is the analog truly comparable?)
-if researcher's experimental manipulations are truly effective they may be harmful (and therefore unethical)
 -if the experimental manipulations are mild, the research becomes trivial and has little external validity. 

Disadvantages of Analog Research

Due to the ethical concerns of using human subjects in analog research, some propose the use of animals as an alternative. With animals, researchers can exert nearly perfect control over their diets, living conditions, and even genetic background. As animals generally have shorter life spans, phenomena that may take years to study in humans can be studied in a few months with, say, rats. Furthermore, a number of “naturally” occurring behavior disorders (e.g., aggression, mood disorders. activity, eating disorders) commonly seen in animals, are also relevant in the field of psychopathology (Aldelda & Joel, 2011). Some even argue for the relevance of animal research when investigating personality traits (e.g., Canli, 2006; i Ho. & Schwarting, 2008). Nonetheless, researchers debate if the behavior of animals can really be analogous to that of humans, and thus valid in research studies.

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