Question

A.Provide your original example for a classical experimental design based off of a health care organizations/management setting, clearly describing all the main elements of the design including time, measures, stimulus, groups, and the random assignment.

B. Explain what the factual and counterfactual are in your specific example.

C. Explain how to go about modifying this example if you were observational study instead.

Answer 1

A. Experimental Research is a type of clinical research methodology that is based on scientific research design.

It consists of three elements : Manipulation, Control and Randomization.

Manipulation refers to researchers' control over independent variable through intervention so as to assess its effect on the dependent variable.

Control is defined as the use of control groups for analysing the efficacy of external variables on the dependent variable. The control group usually are subjected to placebos or no intervention at all.

Randomization refers to equal probability of being selected for intervention by random selection.

Experimental Design : It includes pre and post test, randomised block, crossover design etc.

In Random Assignment, Experimental group receives treatment and subjected to post test. In Control group, they are directly subjected to post test.

For example : "Effectiveness of Quick Relaxation Therapy in subjects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for a duration of 3 months in multiple sittings"

In Solomon four group design, initially the investigator assigns subjects to four groups. Among them, the 1st group receives pretest, followed by treatment to Experimental group 1 and Exp group 2. In the end, all groups undergo post test where dependent variables are observed and comparison is made to assess the effect of independent variable on dependent variable.

In factorial design, investigator manipulates the independent variables to see it's effect on dependent variable. This design is made use of when more than two independent variables are to be assessed.

B. Taking the example here, factual outcomes, also known as observed outcomes and counterfactual, that is unobserved outcomes are :

Variation in Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) are observed outcomes, that is factual outcomes.

Changes observed in behavioural variations associated with trauma can be taken as examples for counterfactual outcomes

C. If the study has to be made into an Observational model, it must have been a Cohort study with a diverse population in the observation setting. The assessment has to be association between multiple exposures and multiple outcomes over a given stipulated time.