Chapter 9 Flashcards
What is the most rigorous form of scientific investigation for testing hypotheses
Experiment
What is the purpose of an experiment
to support a cause and effect relationship between a particular action or condition (independent variable) and and observed response (dependent variable)
What is an extraneous variable
any factor that is not directly related to the purpose of the study, but that may affect the dependent variable
What is it called when extraneous variables are not controlled for and contaminate the independent variable in such a way that their separate effects are obscured
Confounding influence
What are the three essential characteristics a study must have in order to be considered a true experiment
- The independent variable must be manipulated by the experimenter
- The subjects must be randomly assigned to groups
- A control or comparison group must be incorporated within the design
What are the two types of independent variables
Active and Attribute
What is an active independent variable
It is one that is manipulated by the experimenter so that the subjects are assigned to levels of the independent variable
What is an attribute independent variable
It is a variable that the researcher is not able to assign; Must observe within natural groupings according to inherent characteristics. ie: Age, gender, occupation
What does random assignment mean
each subject has an equal chance of being assigned to any group
What is the most effective design strategy for ruling out extraneous effects
The use of a control group against which the experimental group is compared
When is it justifiable to design studies with comparative treatments as controls
When previous research has clearly established their effectiveness against a true control group, or when it is considered unreasonable to leave patients untreated
What type of analysis eliminates subjects who did not get or complete their assigned treatment, and include only those subjects who sufficiently complied with the trials protocol
On- Protocol or On-treatment analysis
How might bias effect the results of an on-protocol analysis
It will favor the treatment, as those who succeed at treatment are the most likely to stick with it
What is Intention to Treat Analysis
When data are analyzed according to the original random assignments, regardless of the treatment subjects actually received. Analyze the data in the way we INTENDED to treat the subjects
Do most researchers use On-Protocol or Intention to Treat Analysis
Most researchers analyze data using both just to be safe
What is the Noncompleter equals failure approach for handling missing data
When the outcome is dichotomous, dropping out is considered failure. Patients who refused their assigned intervention, who received additional, or who were missing final measurements are also considered failures.
What is the most conservative approach for handling missing data
Noncompleter equals failure
What is the Last Observation Carried Forward approach for handling missing data
the subjects last data point before dropping out is carried forward and used as the outcome score
What is a double blind study
Neither the subjects nor the investigator are aware of the identity of the treatment groups until after data are collected
What kind of bias does blinding guard against
Observation bias
When would a single blind study be appropriate
When it is not possible or feasible to blind the subjects from which group they are a part of; only the measurement team is blinded
What is the simplest way to control for specific subject traits that may interfere with the dependent variable
Choosing subjects who are homogeneous
What is one of the major drawbacks of homogeneous subjects in an experiment
Research findings can be generalized only to the type of subjects who participated in the study
To control for extraneous effects, you can systematically manipulate attribute variables and build them into the experimental design as an independent variable. When this is done, what is that new independent variable referred to as
Blocking variable
What would you be controlling for if you use a matching procedure to guarantee an equivalent group of males and females within different age ranges in the experimental and control groups
Extraneous variables
When the levels of the independent variable are assigned to different groups, the variable is considered what
an independent factor
When all levels of the independent variable are experienced by all subjects, the independent variable is considered what
a repeated factor or repeated measure
What type of design ensures the highest possible degree of equivalence across treatment conditions because the subjects are matched with themselves
a repeated measures designs
What statistical technique is used to equate groups on extraneous variables; making covariates artificially equivalent across groups
Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)
What is a covariate
an identified extraneous variable; can be controlled for using ANCOVA