Final answer:
Catastrophizing is the cognitive distortion of expecting the worst, often associated with depression. The researcher is conducting a randomized controlled trial to test a treatment for depression, aiming to minimize cognitive biases and ensure accurate results.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cognitive Thought Distortion and Research Study
The cognitive thought distortion where someone expects the worst outcome in the future, even though it is unlikely to occur, is often referred to as catastrophizing. This type of cognitive distortion can be particularly distressing and is frequently addressed in the treatment of depression. The researcher in the given scenario is likely conducting a randomized controlled trial, which is regarded as a gold-standard method in clinical research to determine the efficacy of treatments, such as for depression. Randomized controlled trials are designed to reduce potential cognitive biases and provide more reliable results by randomly assigning participants to treatment or control groups and ensuring that the samples meet specific diagnostic criteria.