1.3 Data collection and Observational Studies Flashcards
Treatment Group
Group that receives the treatment, or has the characteristics of interest
Control Group
Group that does not receive the treatment, or does not have the characteristic of interest
Observational Study
observes individuals and measures variables of interest but does not attempt to influence the responses
Confounding variable
a variable that has not been accounted for but which is causing a difference in the groups being studied
Observational Studies Pros and Cons
Pro: can be used to study variables that are impossible or unethical to control.
Con: It cannot isolate causes to determine causation
Controlled Experiments
deliberately impose a treatment on individuals and record their responses, use randomization and controlling practices
Retrospective
a study that looks into the past
prospective
a study that deals with current data
longitudinal
a study that follows the same individuals over a long period of time
Types of studies
cross sectional
case-control
cohort
cross sectional study
surveys that collect data on a population at one point in time, often prospective
case-control
often a retrospective study for rare conditions
cohort study
a longitudinal study following a group of similar individuals
