Citation

Shenk CE, Rausch JR, Shores KA, Allen EK, Olson AE. Dev. Psychopathol. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0954579420002242

PMID

unavailable

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.

Language: en

Keywords

child maltreatment; contamination; externalizing behaviors; internalizing behaviors