Research Control
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Transcript of Research Control
RESEARCH CONTROL
Research Control
Control that the investigator puts on the research situation and the subjects
Control extraneous variables to determine the true relationship between the IV and DV under investigation
Extraneous Variables
A variable that confounds the relationship between the IV and DV and that needs to be controlled in the research design or through statistical procedures
The most important question to ask is:
What variables may affect the dependent variable besides the independent variable?
Example
What may affect readmission to the acute care facility BESIDES adequacy of home care? Look at the literature Own clinical knowledge
Extraneous Variables
External- factors stemming from the research situation
Intrinsic- factors that are inherent to the subjects in the research study
Controlling the Research Situation (External Factors) What can the researcher do to control
the research situation itself? Minimize situational contaminants To make conditions under which the data
are collected as similar as possible for every participant in the study
Controlling the Research Situation (External Factors) Constancy of condition
Environmental context within which the study is to be conducted
Consider the setting type and emotional and behavioral aspects of the setting
Avoid contamination of treatment (control group and experimental group sharing with each other)
Controlling the Research Situation (External Factors) Timing
Time of day or year Strive for constancy of time for all the
subjects May or may not be critical to the variables
Controlling the Research Situation (External Factors) Communications
Information about the purpose, how data collected, etc
Prepare in advance Same message to all participants with little
ad libbing Given by the same person(s) whenever
possible
Controlling the Research Situation (External Factors) Research Protocols
Written down in great detail Done by as few as possible trained
research assistants Adhered to specifications
Controlling Subject Characteristics (Intrinsic Factors) Randomization
Most effective way to control Secure comparable groups Equalize the groups with respect to the
extraneous variables
Controls all possible sources of extraneous variation without any conscious decision by the researcher about which variables need to be controlled
Expect that the experimental group and control group are comparable
Controlling Subject Characteristics (Intrinsic Factors)
Repeated Measures or Crossover Design Same subjects serve as both control group
and experimental group Problem: carryover effect Ordering of the treatment is important
Use randomized ordering
Controlling Subject Characteristics (Intrinsic Factors) Homogeneity
Use of subjects who are homogeneous with respect to variables that are considered extraneous
Achieved through determining what possible variable influence the DV besides the IV
Determine eligibility and ineligibility criteria
Controlling Subject Characteristics (Intrinsic Factors) Blocking
Controlling extraneous variable by including them in the design as a IV
Random assignment Table 11.1 page 291 Mostly used for experimental designs but
can be used for non experimental
Matching Statistical Control
Analysis of Covariance
Problems
Except for randomization, the researcher must know in advance what the extraneous variable are
Can practically only deal with 1-3 extraneous variables at a time (except analysis of covariance)
Validity
Does the design do the best possible job of providing trustworthy answers to the research question? Statistical Conclusion Validity Internal Validity Construct Validity External Validity
Validity
Statistical Conclusion Validity PowerPrecision
Answers the question: What is the strength of evidence that a relationship exists between the two variables.
Statistical Conclusion Validity Power -- ability of the design to detect
true relationships among the variables Sample Size Definition of the IV
Statistical Conclusion Validity Precision
Accurate measuring tools Controls over extraneous variables Statistical methods
Validity
Internal Validity Extent to which it is possible to make an
inference that the IV is truly influencing the DV and that the relationship is not spurious
Answers the question If a relationship exists, what is the strength of the evidence that IV of interest rather than extraneous factors caused the outcome?
Threats to Internal Validity
The nature of the true experiment lends itself to a high degree of internal validity because of manipulation and randomization
All other design the researcher must contend with competing explanations for the obtained results (internal validity)
Threats to Internal Validity
History - occurrence of external events that take place concurrently with the IV that can affect the dependent variable of interest In a true experiment can assume that it
affects both the control group and the experimental group similarly
Threats to Internal Validity
Selection- biases resulting from preexisting differences between the group Group differences on the DV are the result
of the groups not being equivalent in the first place rather than the effect of the IV
One of the most common, problematic threats to internal validity
Threats to Internal Validity
Maturation Processes occurring within the subjects
during the course of the study as a result of the passage of time rather than as a result of treatment or independent variable.
Threats to Internal Validity
Testing effect- the effect of the pretest on the participant’s performance on a post test The mere collecting of information can
change the subject’s attitude, behavior, etc
Threats to Internal Validity
Instrumentation- changes in the researcher’s measuring instruments between an initial point of data collection and a subsequent point Keep the pre and post test the same Consider changes in the people collecting
the data, subject’s attitude toward the instruments on post test
Threats to Internal Validity
Mortality- differential attrition from the groups being compared Becomes a consideration in the initial
design of the study If the attrition is random (those dropping
out and those staying are similar bias is low
More than 20% attrition is a concern
Validity
External Validity achieved when the results can be confidently generalized to situations outside the specific research setting
Answers the question: If the relationship is plausibly causal, what is the strength of the evidence that the relationship is generalized across people, settings, and time?
External Validity
Refers to the generalizability of the research findings to other settings or samples Aim of research is discover enduring
relationships To what populations, environments, and
conditions can the results of this study be applied?
External Validity
Sampling design must be adequate “Strictly speaking the findings of a study
can only be generalized to the population of subjects from which a study sample has been selected at random.”
Threats to External Validity
Environmental or research situations that affect the study’ representativeness
Hawthorne Effect Novelty Effect Interaction of History and Treatment Effect Experimenter Effects Measurement Effects
Hawthorne Effect Subjects may behave in a certain manner
simply because they know they are being studied
Thus you cannot generalize to a more natural setting
Novelty Effect New treatment might cause excitement of
skepticism and thus alter behavior
Interaction of history and treatment effect Impact of the treatment AND some other
event external to the study
Experimenter effect Subject’s reaction to the researcher
Measurement Effect Collection of data and attention from
having all the data collected