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Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
Published on: March 1, 2019
Detecting and describing preventive intervention effects in a universal school-based randomized trial targeting
M Stoolmiller1, J M Eddy, J B Reid
1Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene 97401, USA. mikes@.oslc.org
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
|April 26, 2000
Summary
This study found that the most aggressive children showed the greatest improvement after a preventive intervention for conduct disorder. Statistical corrections significantly increased effect size estimates for aggressive children.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychopathology
- Intervention Science
Background:
- Conduct disorder interventions aim to reduce aggression in children.
- Evaluating intervention effectiveness requires robust methodologies.
- Previous studies hypothesized moderately aggressive children would benefit most.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine problems in evaluating playground aggression interventions.
- To assess the impact of a universal preventive intervention on conduct disorder.
- To investigate the relationship between initial aggression levels and intervention outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Observational, real-time micro-coding of playground aggression by blind observers.
- Utilizing statistical models with corrections for low reliability and censoring.
- Focusing on children with varying initial levels of aggressiveness.
Main Results:
- Intervention effectiveness was strongly related to initial aggressiveness.
- The most aggressive children demonstrated the most significant improvement.
- Corrected statistical models yielded effect sizes five times larger than uncorrected models for highly aggressive children.
Conclusions:
- The most aggressive children benefit most from this intervention.
- Methodological and statistical corrections are crucial for accurate outcome evaluation.
- Findings challenge previous hypotheses regarding optimal benefit in moderately aggressive children.
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