Lecture Conducting and reading research in health and human performance (4/e): Chapter 12 - Ted A. Baumgartner, Larry D. Hensley

Chapter 12 - Additional research approaches. This chapter includes contents: Additional approaches in research in HHP, historical approach, nature of historical research, sources of historical data, primary sources, secondary sources, evaluating historical data,...

Chapter 12 Additional Research

Approaches

Additional Approaches in

Research in HHP

 Methods not as prevalent as those previously presented, but may have application in some areas of HHP

• Historical

• Epidemiological

• Single Participant

• Creative Activities

Historical Approach

 The researcher attempts to record and 

understand events of the past in order to better explain present events and suggest possible future directions 

Nature of Historical Research

Sources of Historical Data

 Primary sources

 Secondary sources

Primary sources

 Source is directly connected to the event of interest

 Original documents or physical artifacts

 People that can provide eyewitness testimony

 Highest credibility and preferred data source

Evaluating Historical Data

 Historical data must be critically evaluated to determine  authenticity and worth

 Strict application of external and internal 

criticism should be observed

Biographical Research

 Study of the life, career, and contributions of 

persons of interests . . . often leading scholars, coaches, educators, etc

 Often based on extensive personal interviews of the person of interest supplemented with 

interviews of others 

 Control group – the group without the 

Epidemiological Statistics Used

Odds Ratio (OR)

 The most common measure of association between exposure and health outcome

Attributable Risk (AR)

 Index of the percent of cases in the total group (unexposed group) that occur in the group with a risk factor (exposed group)

 Difference between the incidence rate for the 

exposed group minus the incidence rate for the unexposed group divided by the incidence rate 

of the unexposed group

 Applicable statistic for cohort studies

Single Participant Approach

 a.k.a. “single subject research”

 Research conducted on the individual level with the performance of each research participant, rather than the group, being analyzed

 Behavior or performance of each participant is evaluated across time with each participant 

serving as their own control

Collection and Analysis

 The basic approach is to obtain a baseline 

measure on the participant, administer a 

treatment, then obtain another measure on the participant

 Comparisons are made between the baseline score and the treatment score

 Applied behavior analysis (ABA)

Creative Activities

 Creative research vs. creative activity

 Involves the creation or development of some art form that is considered new or unique

• Common in dance or fine arts

• Artist, painter, dancer, sculptor, musician, etc.

Evaluation of Creative Activity