Research participation effects: a skeleton in the methodological cupboard

ObjectiveThere have been concerns about impacts of various aspects of taking part in research studies for a century. The concerns have not, however, been sufficiently well conceptualized to form traditions of study capable of defining and elaborating the nature of these problems. In this article we present a new way of thinking about a set of issues attracting long-standing attention.Study Design and SettingWe briefly review existing concepts and empirical work on well-known biases in surveys and cohort studies and propose that they are connected.ResultsWe offer the construct of “research participation effects” (RPE) as a vehicle for advancing multi-disciplinary understanding of biases. Empirical studies are needed to identify conditions in which RPE may be sufficiently large to warrant modifications of study design, analytic methods, or interpretation. We consider the value of adopting a more participant-centred view of the research process as a way of thinking about these issues, which may also have benefits in relation to research methodology more broadly.ConclusionResearchers may too readily overlook the extent to which research studies are unusual contexts, and that people may react in unexpected ways to what we invite them to do, introducing a range of biases.     

Outpatient Care Participation and Six-Month Status: Results with an Inner City Impoverished Alcoholic Veterans Population

One hundred and thirty-seven impoverished, inner city, predominately Black alcoholic veterans were divided into four groups based on the frequency of their attendance at an outpatient clinic. They were assessed 6 months after their joining the clinic. In general, many variables reflecting lessened alcohol consumption were connected with greater amounts of clinic attendance. In most instances a month or more of attendance at the clinic appeared necessary before the positive changes started to occur.     

Paternal Roots of Female Character Development

Contemporary psychoanalysts maintain a widespread consensus on the interactive nature of the psychoanalytic process. Mitchell (1997) compares and contrasts the clinical work of three well-known contemporary analysts from three different analytic traditions: Theodore Jacobs, Darlene Ehrenberg, and Thomas Ogden. Mitchell uses this exercise to demonstrate that we each have our own idiosyncratic styles of engaging the world, and thus it follows that we each participate in distinct varieties of analytic interaction.

This article places Mitchell's own clinical approach squarely in line with the interpersonal tradition. The article argues that among all of the various schools of psychoanalysis, the interpersonal approach is unique in the freedom that it gives to analysts to behave flexibly and spontaneously with interventions other than interpretation. The article comments on Mitchell's unique qualities as a clinician and teacher.     

Consumer Participation in Identifying Research and Development Priorities for Power Wheelchair Input Devices and Controllers

A focus group comprised of persons who use power wheelchairs and professionals working in the field were asked to participate in a brainstorming session to determine priorities for the development and application of power mobility input devices and control concepts. The group consensus was that durability and reliability are the most important criteria. Essentially, the expectation is that a power wheelchair must work everyday in the way a person needs it and wants it. At the same time, there is a desire to enhance and advance the features of input devices and control systems. Many would say these changes constitute designing “smarter” power wheelchairs, such as systems that can independently detect obstacles and can provide users with more feedback. This paper presents the rationale behind forming this focus group and details of the results of a brainstorming session where ideas were generated and prioritized. The five most important issues as determined by the group are discussed in depth.     

Competitive Sport Involvement and Substance Use among Adolescents: A Nationwide Study

Background: The empirical research examining the impact of sports participation on alcohol and other drug use has produced mixed results. Part of this problem may be the result of how different types of sports participation create different experiences that shape certain types of behaviors that either facilitate or deter substance use. Objectives. We examined the association between different types of competitive sports participation and substance use among a nationally representative sample of adolescents. Methods: Two recent cross-sections from the Monitoring the Future were merged to capture a large subsection of adolescents who participate in either high-contact sports (football, wrestling, hockey, and lacrosse), semicontact sports (baseball, basketball, field hockey, and soccer), and noncontact sports (cross-country, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, track, and volleyball). Results: Multivariate analyses revealed that adolescents who participated in high-contact sports had higher odds of using substances during the past 30 days and initiating substance use at early ages. Further, adolescents who participated in noncontact sports had lower odds to indicate smoking cigarettes and marijuana during the past 30 days. Conclusions: Parents, educators, and policy makers need to consider that some sporting contexts may be a catalyst to engage in risky behaviors like substance use.     

Influences of social context on parent guidance and low-income preschoolers' independent and guided math performance

Mathematical knowledge at school entry predicts school achievement, and children from low-income families are at risk for low math achievement. The study purpose was to observe low-income parents' numeracy guidance in two contexts, a board game and a number concept assessment, and to compare preschoolers' independent and guided math performances. Eighteen four-year-olds enrolled in Head Start participated with one parent. Although parents employed guidance for a wider range of math activities during the number assessment activity as compared with the board game, the total guidance provided in each context did not differ. In both contexts, children performed at a higher level when guided by a parent as compared with independent math performance. Parental reports of home numeracy practices were positively correlated with children's math abilities but not with observed parent guidance. The findings provide further support for the importance of adult guidance in order to enhance children's opportunities to reinforce known skills and develop new mathematical understandings.