Research Design in Clinical Psychology

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Research Design in Clinical Psychology

• Lecture 10
• Interpreting and writing up data
• (Chapter 16 18 in Kazdin)

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Interpreting your data
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Interpreting study results

• Dont misrepresent
• statistical significance
• correlation vs causation
• Or overblow implications beyond data
• In addition to the main effect, it is important
  to consider the interactive role of other
  variables (moderators)

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How do we evaluate the value of a study

• Some suggest that the main concern of study
  evaluators must be quality of the design and not
  significance level of results

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Why do we get Null results

• Really are no/small differences in population
• Low power
• Intervention didnt was not carried out or
  experienced by subject as intended
• Magnitude/intensity of IV
• Excessive uncontrolled error
• Influence of other variables

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Influence of negative results

• Help determine to what extent variations in
  methodology exacerbate, reduce, or do not change
  a reported result
• Question or qualify veracity of reported findings
• May help determine conditions in which results
  are and are not found
• May help determine measures for which results are
  and are not found

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Replication

• Includes
• direct (exact)
• systematic (vary only particular key elements)
• Can extend findings across both procedural and
  conceptual domains
• Can include re-analysis of results by outsiders
• Can be considered a test of generality

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Communication of Findings

• Conference presentations, conference posters, and
  pulications

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Conference Presentations

• Factors to consider
• How much of the data can be reported for abstract
• Can it be part of a larger theme or symposium?
• Has it been presented elsewhere or published
• Authorship guidelines
• Is there such a thing as too many presentations
• Submit abstract for deadline which could be up to
  6 months prior to conference

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Talks

• NEVER RUN OVER AND LEAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS
• This is a sign of poor preparation
• If you are running over and the chair gives you a
  fixed amt of time left, do not blame having to go
  faster or leaving anything out on him/her, its
  your fault
• Do not reuse old slides if they arent exactly
  what you need for the current talk
• Always practice your talk several times prior to
  giving it
• Explain all slides clearly, dont rush through
  (exclude instead)
• FAILURE ON ANY OF THE ABOVE IS RUDE TO OTHER
  PRESENTERS AND AUDIENCE, AND THEREFORE IS
  INEXCUSABLE

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Posters

• Posters should be 9-16 slides
• DO NOT include too much text
• Title should be big enough to get noticed
• An abstract and reference section are nice if
  space allows
• Handouts are useful
• Should include authors, title, an abstract, and
  contact infocan also include a representative
  figure or table
• Also keep a log for other to leave an address so
  you can mail them related materials

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Sections of a manuscript
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Abstract

• Purpose
• Participants
• Design and Procedures
• Results
• Implications

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Introduction

• Background context and theoretical issues
• Lay out question of interest
• How does proposed study get at question
• In this context, what will be done
• Specific primary and secondary hypotheses

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Method

• Participants
• Basic quantitative data
• Design
• Materials and Apparatus
• Include psychometrics
• Procedure

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Results

• Start from basic findings and work towards
  specific findings of interest

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Discussion

• Re-present main findings
• from specific to general
• What do findings add to literature
• Alternative explanations
• Limitations
• Implications and future directions

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Also include

• References
• Tables (incl note) Figures (incl captions)
• Acknowledgements
• Author notes
• Footnotes

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Stages of publication

• Manuscript preparation
• Manuscript submission
• Review Process
• Revision
• Publication