Assignment: Internal Validity in Sociology Research

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The validity of the rehabilitation program may be compromised by the two groups selected for the study. For example, there was no random selection when choosing the groups. Also, gaining employment may or may not prove that these individuals can maintain employment and for how long. This type of study would need a random selection of the groups as well as follow-up for a specific amount of time in order to follow how these groups were able to maintain the full-time employment. The individuals that did not find employment and the individuals that found part-time employment would also need to be followed to measure whether full-time employment was achieved after a period of time. This type of study gives a basic measurement but in order to truly get a valid conclusion regarding the rehabilitation program and the ability to gain and maintain full-time employment, there would need to be further evaluation.

In the case study “Social Work Research: Chi Square”, Molly, an administrator with a regional organization asked a team of researchers to conduct an outcome evaluation of a new vocational rehabilitation program for recently paroled prison inmates (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014). The findings of the chi square showed that the vocational rehabilitation intervention program is effective in increasing the employment status of participants. These conclusions come from two groups, which are the first 30 participants (intervention group) and the waiting list 30 participants (comparison group). The vocational rehabilitation intervention program is effective due to 18 or 60.0% that are a part of the intervention group, have full-time employment. The Chi Square also shows that out of the comparison group, 6 or 20.7% have full-time employment, but 16 or 55.2% do not have employment, and are not participating in the program. However, if the non-employment levels from the comparison group were affected (in the program), then the study shows that there is a greater chance for full-time employment for participants.

The factors limiting the internal validity of this study is that the researcher of this study observed the comparison group and the 30 (wait list) participants were not affected by this study. Internal validity is only relevant in studies that try to establish a causal relationship and is not relevant in most observational or descriptive studies (Trochim, 2006). The intervention group was affected due to, they are already participating in the program and benefiting from the program. This group was also observed. Factors that limits the ability to draw conclusions regarding cause and effect relationships are that the test only describes the relationship between two variables, which are employment levels and treatment condition. The study does not discuss anything prior to when the paroles where prison inmates. Employment level outcome effectiveness for recently paroled prison inmates are being studied. It doesn’t tell what was done for the program for the participants to gain full-time employment, which shows construct validity (Trochim, 2006).

References

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing.

Trochim, W. M. K. (2006). Internal Validity. Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/intval.php

RESPONSE 2:

Respond to at least two colleagues in the following ways:

· Address a colleague’s post that differs from yours with regard to at least one cultural lens and expand upon the colleague’s interpretation of Paula’s needs.

· Explain whether you might use your colleague’s strategy for addressing multiple perspectives when treating clients, and explain why.

References

Dudley, J. R. (2014). Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do. (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books.

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. (Vital Source e-reader).

Threats to the Internal Validity of Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research in Healthcare

The article defines, describes, and discusses the seven threats to the internal validity of experiments discussed by Donald T. Campbell in his classic 1957 article: history, maturation, testing, instrument decay, statistical regression, selection, and mortality. These concepts are said to be threats to the internal validity of experiments because they pose alternate explanations for the apparent causal relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable of an experiment if they are not adequately controlled. A series of simple diagrams illustrate three pre-experimental designs and three true experimental designs discussed by Campbell in 1957 and several quasi-experimental designs described in his book written with Julian C. Stanley in 1966. The current article explains why each design controls for or fails to control for these seven threats to internal validity.

Assignment: Internal Validity in Sociology Research