VOCABULARY
This is the variable that is manipulated by the investigator in a research study
What is an INDEPENDENT VARIABLE?
This threat occurs when observed changes or differences are due to a change in the measuring instrument for the dependent variable
What is INSTRUMENTATION?
A study that compares two groups of people: those with the disease or condition under study and a very similar group of people who do not have the disease or condition
What is a CASE-CONTROL STUDY?
This step involves selecting and defining your study sample
What is ENROLLMENT?
This level includes family, friends, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, and other close relationships
What is INTERPERSONAL?
This is an experimental method used to ensure impartiality and avoid errors arising from bias
What is DOUBLE-BLINDING?
This threat occurs when some type of physical or mental change occurs naturally over the course of the study and affects participants' performance
What is MATURATION?
A type of research study that follows large groups of people over a long time; the groups share many similarities but differ by a certain characteristic, and a particular outcome (such as the development of a disease) is compared between the groups
What is a LONGITUDINAL STUDY?
This step involves maintaining the study cohort over protracted periods of time
What is FOLLOW-UP?
This level employs interventions targeting one's knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and skills
What is INDIVIDUAL?
The degree to which study findings can be generalized to other study populations with different characteristics
What is EXTERNAL VALIDITY?
Another word for mortality, this refers to the loss of participants over the course of a study
What is DIFFERENTIAL ATTRITION?
This type of observational study can be prospective or retrospective
What is a COHORT STUDY?
This step involves randomizing participants to trial groups ("trial arms")
What is ALLOCATION?
Lehman College would fall into this level, which consists of environment and ethos
What is SCHOOL?
These are variables through which the intervention causes changes in the trial’s outcomes or end points
What are MEDIATORS?
Also known as the observer effect, this threat refers to a phenomenon whereby participants modify an aspect of their behavior in response to being observed
What is the HAWTHORNE EFFECT?
This type of study evaluates interventions without randomization
What is a QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY?
This is a critical step that creates a formal record of your design, hypotheses, planned analyses, and dependent variables
What is REGISTRATION?
School vaccination requirements and tobacco product taxes are examples of this level
What is PUBLIC POLICY?
These are variables that may affect the study outcomes but are not of interest to the research question, but may threaten the trial’s validity
What are EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES?
This threat occurs when the selection of study participants is based on extreme scores that, when measured again, move back to an average level
What is STATISTICAL REGRESSION?
This method involves segmenting a population into clusters, and then further dividing them into smaller group units across many points
What is MULTI-STAGE CLUSTER SAMPLING?
This step involves assessing changes in outcomes observed in the study
What is ANALYSIS?
Cultural norms and practices, acceptance, trust, and social cohesion are protective factors for this level of the ecological model
What is COMMUNITY?