Asked by Jessica Perez on May 05, 2024
Verified
Ahmed conducts a study to test the effectiveness of a drug. He surveys the clients twice-once at intake and then six months later. He finds that the drug was overall effective, but approximately 55 percent of the original sample stopped using the drug. Therefore, he does not have posttest data for them. In this case, what is likely to be an alternative explanation for the results obtained by Ahmed?
A) Maturation
B) Mortality
C) Statistical regression
D) Diffusion of treatment
Posttest Data
The data collected after an intervention or treatment in a study, used to assess its effects.
Mortality
The incidence of death within a particular population or the state of being mortal.
Statistical Regression
A statistical technique used to understand the relationship between independent variables and a dependent variable, often seen in predictive modeling.
- Detect and clarify usual difficulties in experimental research like dropout rates, attrition, and impacts stemming from the order in which experiments are conducted.
Verified Answer
RS
Ramit SharmaMay 08, 2024
Final Answer :
B
Explanation :
Mortality refers to the loss of participants during a study, and it can be a threat to the validity of the results. In this case, since 55% of the original sample stopped using the drug, there is a possibility that those who continued using the drug might be a biased subset of the original sample. This can lead to an overestimation of the effectiveness of the drug, and the results may not generalize to the larger population. Therefore, mortality is a potential alternative explanation for the results obtained by Ahmed.
Learning Objectives
- Detect and clarify usual difficulties in experimental research like dropout rates, attrition, and impacts stemming from the order in which experiments are conducted.