Good example Homework Assignment 4
Article:
Nov 29th, 2005
Source: msnbc health: New York Times
NOTE: you cannot use this article for the homework assignment
I. Goal: To determine whether drinking decaffeinated coffee increases (bad) cholesterol levels
II. Model being tested:
Model 1: Decaf coffee increases cholesterol levels
Model 2: Decaf coffee does not increase cholesterol levels
III. Design Features:
1. Experiment:
a) what done: participants were assigned to drink different amounts of decaf coffee or no coffee
b) for what purpose: to determine the effects of decaf on cholesterol levels
(you can answer this all in 1 simple sentence, just address both parts a and b)
2. Controls:
a) Factors controlled for: all except decaf coffee (because subjects were randomly assigned to groups - NOTE THAT ALL NON-TREATMENT FACTORS ARE CONTROLLED ONLY WHEN THERE IS RANDOM ASSIGNMENT TO TREATMENT AND CONTROL GROUPS, SO DON'T JUST CUT AND PASTE THIS LINE INTO YOUR ASSIGNMENT WITHOUT CHECKING INTO THIS AND THINKING ABOUT IT!
b) Control group = people who drank no coffee
c) Treatment group = people who drank decaf coffee
(NOTE: this is not the best example of a standard, this is simply a basis for comparison between the groups)
NOTE: If your article does not state clearly that blind was absent (if it does, provide that quote), put ambiguous and quote supporting that or explanatory statement, as above.
Second good example of Homework Assignment 4
Article:
Vitamin E fails to stop progress of AlzheimerÕs
April 19th, 2005 by Nicolas Bakalar
Source: New York Times
NOTE: you cannot use this article for the homework assignment
IV. Goal: To determine whether taking Vitamin E slows progression of AlzheimerÕs
V. Model being tested:
Model 1: Vitamin E slows progression of AlzheimerÕs disease
Model 2: Vitamin E does not slow progression of AlzheimerÕs disease
VI. Design Features:
1. Experiment:
a) what done: participants were assigned to receive Vitamin E or a placebo
b) for what purpose: to determine the effects of Vitamin E on the rate of pogression of AlzheimerÕs disease
(you can answer this all in 1 simple sentence, just address both parts a and b)
2.
Controls:
a)
factors controlled for: all
except vitamin E (subjects were randomly assigned to groups)
b) Control
group = people who took a placebo
c) Treatment group = people who took
Vitamin E
3. quotes: ÒAt the end of one year, significant differences appeared: 38 patients in the placebo group and 33 in the vitamin E group had AlzheimerÕs, compared with only 16 in the Aricept group. But among the 214 patients who progressed to AlzheimerÕs over the entire 3 year course of the study, there was no significant difference among the three test groups.Ó
NOTE: Placebo will be accepted as evidence that study was done blindly.