ERIC Number: EJ787631
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 30
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0193-841X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Truncation-by-Death Problem: What to Do in an Experimental Evaluation when the Outcome Is Not Always Defined
McConnell, Sheena; Stuart, Elizabeth A.; Devaney, Barbara
Evaluation Review, v32 n2 p157-186 2008
Although experiments are viewed as the gold standard for evaluation, some of their benefits may be lost when, as is common, outcomes are not defined for some sample members. In evaluations of marriage interventions, for example, a key outcome--relationship quality--is undefined when a couple splits up. This article shows how treatment-control differences in mean outcomes can be misleading when outcomes are not defined for everyone and discusses ways to identify the seriousness of the problem. Potential solutions to the problem are described, including approaches that rely on simple treatment-control differences-in-means as well as more complex modeling approaches. (Contains 5 tables and 8 notes.)
Descriptors: Schematic Studies, Control Groups, Evaluation Research, Evaluation Problems, Error of Measurement, Error Correction, Experimenter Characteristics, Marriage, Social Stratification, Research Methodology, Cognitive Mapping, Change Strategies
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A