Unit 6.2: Study Design Flashcards
1
Q
What is Specificity?
A
- Refers to degree to which test is consistent and stable in measuring what it is intended to measure
- Refers to how close determined value is to actual value (depends on procedures/equipment used)
- Will depend on strictness of test conducted and individual’s motivation
- E.g. Endurance athlete doing Cooper’s 12 minute run to test aerobic power
2
Q
What is Accuracy?
A
- Refers to degree to which test actually measures what it claimes to measure and extent to which conclusions/decisions are made on the basis of test scores being appropriate/meaningful
- Precision of data gathered
- Depends on instruments being used (must be accurate)
- E.g. hand timing a race won’t be as accurate as laser-timing
3
Q
What is Reliability?
A
- Refers to how close a determined value is to the actual value
- Consistency of test scores over time and across alternative measurements
- Depends on procedures/equipment used
- reliable test -> produces same result if repeated
- E.g. Need to make sure improvement in performance in a fitness test is due to actual fitness improvement and not because there is learning/habituation effect on the test (McMorris -> 160 times repeating test)
4
Q
What is Validity?
A
- Refers to ability of test to correctly indentify parameters which are most important in regard to the claims of the study: Does the test measure what it is supposed to measure?
- E.g. making basketball players run 100m will not tell us how quick they are in in a basketball game, where sprints are much shorter and repeated many times
5
Q
What must be considered when designing an experiment?
A
- Causalty
- Control Group
- Randomization
- Placebos
- Blinding and Double-Blinding
- Statistical Analysis
6
Q
What is Causalty?
A
- Relation between an event (cause) and a second event (effect), where second event is understood as consequence of the first
- Causation must be taken with care because:
1. Other factors could influence results (e.g. habituation, weather…)
2. Relationship between two variables does not necessary mean causation
7
Q
What is the Control group?
A
- Group in experiment/study that does not receive treatment by researchers to be used as benchmark to measure how other tested subjects do
8
Q
Explain control and experimental groups
A
- Must be identical in all relevant ways except for introduction of suspected causal agent into experimental group
- If suspected causal agent is actually causal factor of event -> event should manifest itself more significantly in experimental group than control group
9
Q
What is randomization?
A
- A process used to select experiment participants when performing cause and effect experiment.
- Random allocation of individuals into groups
10
Q
What is a placebo?
A
- A participant taking treatment that will not affect performance, used as control in testing new drugs
11
Q
What is a blind experiment?
A
When participants do not know which group they belong to so they do not know if they are receiving placebo or substance under study
12
Q
What is a double-blind experiment?
A
- When neither participants nor experimenters know who is receiving a particular treatment.
- Utilized to prevent bias in search results
13
Q
Explain the importance of PAR-Q test
A
- Screening tool used to determine if participating in physical activity of test will put health/life of participant at risk
- Measures component of fitness required for individual to undertake physical activity
- Anyone looking to partake in exercise program should go through questionnaire
- Helps determine safety of test for participant
- If person answer no to all questions -> can participate
- If person answer yes to one or more -> must see doctor before undertaking physical test
14
Q
What are advantages of field testing?
A
- More specific to performance environment
- Greater ecological validity, more motivation to perform at optimal level
- Less specialized technical equipment -> do not have to be an expert to manipulate tools
- Easier to test large sample size
- Cheaper than lab
15
Q
What are disadvantages of field testing?
A
- Environment can alter results
- Much planning in testing administration
- Less advanced tools/technology
