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Chapter13 Part 4

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124 views16 pages

Chapter13 Part 4

Uploaded by

api-232613595
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 13, Part 4

Experiments and Observational Studies

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Do Now Pick 2
1)

2) 3)

What is the difference between control and control group? What is the placebo effect? What does it mean for a study to be blind? Double-blind?

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 2

AIM

How do we design experiments? Check Homework 31. Study for the test!

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 3

Placebos

Often simply applying any treatment can induce an improvement. To separate out the effects of the treatment of interest, we can use a control treatment that mimics the treatment itself. A fake treatment that looks just like the treatment being tested is called a placebo. Placebos are the best way to blind subjects from knowing whether they are receiving the treatment or not.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 4

Placebos (cont.)

The placebo effect occurs when taking the sham treatment results in a change in the response variable. This highlights both the importance of effective blinding and the importance of comparing treatments with a control. Placebo controls are so effective that you should use them as an essential tool for blinding whenever possible.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 5

The Best Experiments

are usually: randomized. comparative. double-blind. placebo-controlled.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 6

Blocking

When groups of experimental units are similar, its often a good idea to gather them together into blocks. Blocking isolates the variability due to the differences between the blocks so that we can see the differences due to the treatments more clearly. When randomization occurs only within the blocks, we call the design a randomized block design.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 7

Blocking (cont.)

Here is a diagram of a blocked experiment:

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 8

Blocking (cont.)

In a retrospective or prospective study, subjects are sometimes paired because they are similar in ways not under study. Matching subjects in this way can reduce variability in much the same way as blocking.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 9

Blocking (cont.)

Blocking is the same idea for experiments as stratifying is for sampling. Both methods group together subjects that are similar and randomize within those groups as a way to remove unwanted variation. We use blocks to reduce variability so we can see the effects of the factors; were not usually interested in studying the effects of the blocks themselves.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 10

Adding More Factors

It is often important to include multiple factors in the same experiment in order to examine what happens when the factor levels are applied in different combinations.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 11

Adding More Factors (cont.)

For example, the following diagram shows a study of the effects of different fertilizer/water combinations on the juiciness and tastiness of tomatoes:

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 12

Confounding

When the levels of one factor are associated with the levels of another factor, we say that these two factors are confounded. When we have confounded factors, we cannot separate out the effects of one factor from the effects of the other factor.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 13

Lurking or Confounding

A lurking variable creates an association between two other variables that tempts us to think that one may cause the other. This can happen in a regression analysis or an observational study. A lurking variable is usually thought of as a prior cause of both y and x that makes it appear that x may be causing y.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 14

Lurking or Confounding (cont.)

Confounding can arise in experiments when some other variables associated with a factor has an effect on the response variable. Since the experimenter assigns treatments (at random) to subjects rather than just observing them, a confounding variable cant be thought of as causing that assignment. A confounding variable, then, is associated in a noncausal way with a factor and affects the response. Because of the confounding, we find that we cant tell whether any effect we see was caused by our factor or by the confounding factor (or by both working together).
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 15

Independent Practice

Were planning an experiment to see whether the new pet food is safe for dogs to eat. Well feed some animals the new food and others a food known to be safe, comparing their health before and after that time period. In this experiment, how will you implement the principles of control, randomization, and replication?

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Slide 13 - 16

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