Experimental Design Flashcards
This term is used to refer to phenomena as it must show some kind of variation in the real world in order for them to be interesting from a research perspective
Variable
In this study, the researcher manipulates the independent variable, and then observes how the dependent variable changes in response to those manipulations
Experimental study
In a graph, which would be in the x-axis and y-axis
X-axis: independent variable
Y-axis: dependent variable
A third variable that affects both the independent and dependent variables. By doing so it obscures the real relationship between these 2 variables
Confounding variable- has a relationship with both variables
Provides a mechanistic link between an observed relationship between two variable. Can be visualized as being in between the independent and dependent variables
Mediating variable
Modulates the intensity of a certain relationship
Ex. Healthy coping strategies might reduce the intensity of the relationship between workplace stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression
Moderating variable
The process in which the goal must be translated into something that we can measure in a practical way.
Operationalization
A type of observation design in which researchers take a set of people representative of a population, measure various things about them, and look for certain correlations among the measurements
Cross-sectional study
Ex. Opinion polls
Multiple measures are made over time
Longitudinal design
Independent variables associated with a higher risk of a negative outcome
Risk factors
Associated with a lower risk of a negative outcome
Protective factors
A subset of longitudinal cross-sectional studies, in which a group subjects is assembled according to some organizing principle, often age, and followed up over time
Cohort studies
An analysis in which data are gathered moving forward, is known as __________, whereas cross-sectional studies that look back over time are known as __________.
Prospective, Retrospective
T or F. Only observational studies can be longitudinal
False, experimental studies can be longitudinal depending on the length and regularity of rounds of treatment and follow-up measurements
A subtype of observational studies involved in gathering up some
“Cases”- or individuals with an outcome of interest-and comparing them to “controls”- or people who do not have that outcome of interest, with the goal of identifying difference between the 2 groups that might shed light on the phenomenon in questions.
Case-control studies- important in epidemiology
Hierarchy of evidence diagram (pg. 6)
- No humans involved: animal and lab studies
- No design: case report or case series, narrative reviews, expert opinions, editorials
- Primary studies: case control studies, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trait (RCT)
- Secondary, pre-appraised, or filtered: meta-analysis systematic review and clinical practice guidelines
Concern for ethical standards lies at the core of this requirement.
Institutional Review Board approval is a mainstay of modern research
7 principles that must be considered when conducting research on humans as identified by researchers at National Institutes of Health
1: social and clinical value
2. Scientific validity
3. Fair subject selection
4. Favorable risk-benefit ratio
5. Independent review
6. Informed consent
7. Respect for potential and enrolled participants
Correlation vs Causation
Correlation is a bidirectional, or reciprocal, relationship, where two variables tend to rise and fall in tandem, or in opposite patterns
Causation is a unidirectional relationship, in which changes in one variable result in changes in another.
