Sampling/Validity Flashcards
Population
larger group to which research results are generalized
Examples:
* people with knee osteoarthritis
* elderly with a history of falls
* recreational athletes
* DPT students
Sample
- a subgroup of the population used for estimating characteristics of that population
- More feasible
- More economical
Sample Bias
Choosing a sample that over or under-represents certain attributes may bias the measurement
Examples
* Return to sport after ACL reconstruction:
– Sample = NFL athletes
– Sample = city rec league participants
Goal of Inclusion/Exculsion Criteria
- Goal is to research a sample that accurately represents the population of interest
- Limit the influence of confounding subject characteristics (increases confidence in the study results):
Examples
– comorbities
– concurrent treatment
Inclusion Criteria
description of the traits that qualify someone to be a subject
Exclusion Criteria
description of factors that preclude participation
The more strict inclusion and exclusion results in…
- Less ability for the research to apply to the general public or larger populations BUT…
- Minimizes selection bias and increases the ability to make cause/effect relationships
Types of Sampling Techniques
- Probability Sampling
- Nonprobability Sampling
Probability Sampling
- Randomization involved at some point
- Preferred method
Nonprobability Sampling
- Randomization NOT involved at any point
- Must question the ability to generalize to the population
- Suspect that the sample is biased in some way
- Far more common in clinical research
Simple Random Sampling
- Each member of the population of interest is equally likely to be selected
- Random number generator selects them, requires the entire population to be known
Difficult for studies due to inclusion/exclusion criteria not being able to apply to everyone
Systematic sampling
- Participants chosen from a list (every Kth name)
- Ex: Every 9th name on the list
- Limitation: Requires an entire list of the population.
Stratified Sampling
- Random sampling from subgroups
- Guarantees representation of the entire population, allows for analysis of subgroups seperately
- Ex: Grades of OA in individuals, sorted by severity
Cluster Sampling
- Divide the population into clusters (often by geographical)
- Randomly sample within the cluster
- Measure all nuits within sampled clusters and extrapolate to the entire population
Convenience Sampling
- Use of volunteers very common in PT literature
- Chosen based on availability (clinical site)
- May also be recruited from flyers/signs
- Volunteers tend to have greater motivation
- Especially relevant for experimental studies as volunteers may more strictly adhere to the intervention (Volunteer bias)
- Treatments more likely to show an effect