CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE

1. CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE

2. CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE • investigators attempt to determine the cause or consequences of differences that already existbetween or among groups of individuals • Causal-comparative research is also referred to sometimes as ex post facto(from the Latin for “after the fact”) research.

3. group difference variable • is either a variable that cannot be manipulated, this naturally occurring variable that cannot be manipulated are: Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Learning style, Socio-economic status, Parental educational level, Family environment, Preschool attendance, and Type of school.

4. Sometimes ethical constraints prevent a variable from being manipulated, thus preventing the effects of variations in the variable from being examined by means of an experimental study. Example: In the effects of a new diet on very young children. Ethical considerations, however, might prevent the researcher from intentionally changing the diet to which the children are exposed.

5. three types • There are three types of causal-comparative research • exploration of effects • exploration of causes • exploration of consequences which differ in their purposes and structure.

6. Differences between Causal-Comparative and Experimental Research

7. Similarities between Causal-Comparative and Experimental Research

8. Differences between Causal-Comparative and CorrelationalResearch

9. Similarities between Causal-Comparative and Experimental Research

10. Sample Study “Relationship between percent body fat and menstrual patterns in athletes and non-athletes” conducted by Ouellette, MacVicar, and Harlan.

11. This study is considered causal-comparative because there are 2 groups of subject that are formed, the athletes and non-athletes which serves as the independent variable, with some several dependent variables (body fat percentage and the menstrual cycle).

12. With hypothesis concerning why the 2 compared groups differ on those variable. It is also evident when viewing the variables, independent variables had occurred before the researcher conducted the study.

13. There are no manipulations done by the researcher. The basic design is ex-post facto wherein the researcher selected two groups that differ on a particular variable of interests and comparing them on other variables without manipulations. The researcher did not assign people to be athletes or not, they just used their present lifestyle.

14. Selection of the sample of individuals to be studied was done by carefully identifying the characteristics of the group. The sample used on this study was composed of a 54 collegiate athletes aged 18-22 years old. On the other hand, the non-athlete group was composed of 52 nursing student ages 18-22. The study lacks participants because it may not be considered representative of the majority. As well as some studies state that menstrual cycle for women under 25 years are unvarying.

15. The participants used monthly health calendars to report for their monthly menstrual cycle. As well as sell-report was done by the participants to give the researcher the information about their physical activity. Skin-fold thickness and weight was measured monthly at the athletes subject’s training facility.

16. REFERENCES: Fraenklen, J. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in education. (8th ed., pp. 365 - 391) Knapp, T. (1998). Quantitative nursing research. (pp. 86-97). Sage Publications, Inc. Mertens, D. (2010). Research and evaluation on education and psychology. (3rd ed., pp. 151-161). Polit, D. (2008). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. (8th ed.). Powers, B. (2011). Dictionary of nursing theory and research. (4th ed.). Springer Publishing Company. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/amethyst212/causal-comparative-n-survey (n.d.). Causal comparative and correlational research. Retrieved from http://www.hci.sg/admin/uwa/MEd7_8633/Causal-comparative_research.pdf

17. Causal-Comparative By: Emerson V. Castillo, R.N.