• Write an analysis of the relationship between study design and statistical analysis used in the case study that includes:
• An explanation of why you think that the agency created a plan to evaluate the program
• An explanation of why the social work agency in the case study chose to use a chi square statistic to evaluate whether there is a difference between those who participated in the program and those who did not (Hint: Think about the level of measurement of the variables)
• A description of the research design in terms of observations (O) and interventions (X) for each group.
• Interpret the chi-square output data. What do the data say about the program?
Research Data Analysis
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor’s Name
Date
Research Data Analysis
In the study, the independent variables were the treatment conditions and the dependent variable was the employment level. The Chi-Square helped to validate the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable (Weaver, 2017). I believe the agency created a plan to evaluate the program because it wanted to be certain that the resources they were providing to the participants are impactful and helpful. Gathering relevant information is essential in determining the effectiveness of various programs (Weaver, 2017). They provide insights into the necessity to improve the programs.
A chi-square test is a statistical method of analysis used to determine the relationship between the observed results and the expected results. The Chi-Square test was relevant in this case to determine if a difference between observed data and expected data is due to chance, or if it is due to a relationship between the variables being studied (Weaver, 2017). Also, the agency had access, availability, and a large enough sample group to utilize for the study. The purpose of completing the study was to identify the effectiveness of the program.
Based on the observation and interventions, it would be appropriate to state that the study used a quasi-experimental study design. A quasi-experimental design is used to investigate a causal relationship between an intervention and an outcome (Reichardt & Little, 2019). Additionally, the study involves pre-test and post-test design. These are characteristics of a quasi-experimental design.
The result of the study indicated that the chi-square is statistically significant, and it is correct to reject the null hypothesis because the significance level of the chi-square test was <o.5 (Weaver, 2017). Additionally, the outcome reflected a big sample size based on the relationship between the waitlist and the treatment group.
References
Reichardt, C. S., & In Little, T. D. (2019). Quasi-experimentation: A guide to design and analysis. The Guilford Press.
Weaver, K. F. (2017). An introduction to statistical analysis in research: With applications in the biological and life sciences. John Wiley & Sons.