@article{ref1,
title="Controlling contamination in child maltreatment research: impact on effect size estimates for child behavior problems measured throughout childhood and adolescence",
journal="Development and psychopathology",
year="2021",
author="Shenk, Chad E. and Rausch, Joseph R. and Shores, Kenneth A. and Allen, Elizabeth K. and Olson, Anneke E.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="Contamination, when members of a comparison or control condition are exposed to the event or intervention under scientific investigation, is a methodological phenomenon that downwardly biases the magnitude of effect size estimates. This study tested a novel approach for controlling contamination in observational child maltreatment research. Data from The Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN; N = 1354) were obtained to estimate the risk of confirmed child maltreatment on trajectories of internalizing and externalizing behaviors before and after controlling contamination. Baseline models, where contamination was uncontrolled, demonstrated a risk for greater internalizing (b =.29, p <.001, d =.40) and externalizing (b =.14, p =.040, d =.19) behavior trajectories. Final models, where contamination was controlled by separating the comparison condition into subgroups that did or did not self-report maltreatment, also demonstrated risks for greater internalizing (b =.37, p <.001, d =.51) and externalizing (b =.22, p =.028, d =.29) behavior trajectories. However, effect size estimates in final models were 27.5%-52.6% larger compared to baseline models. Controlling contamination in child maltreatment research can strengthen effect size estimates for child behavior problems, aiding future child maltreatment research design and analysis.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0954-5794",
doi="10.1017/S0954579420002242",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420002242"
}