Controlling contamination in child maltreatment research: Impact on effect size estimates for child behavior problems measured throughout childhood and adolescence

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.

Originally Published at 10.1017/S0954579420002242

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Work Title Controlling contamination in child maltreatment research: Impact on effect size estimates for child behavior problems measured throughout childhood and adolescence
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Chad E. Shenk
  2. Joseph R. Rausch
  3. Kenneth A. Shores
  4. Elizabeth K. Allen
  5. Anneke E. Olson
Keyword
  1. Contamination
  2. Child maltreatment
  3. Internalizing behaviors
  4. Externalizing behaviors
License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Development and Psychopathology
Publication Date March 15, 2021
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420002242
Deposited January 27, 2023

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added Revision_-_Contamination_-_Full_Manuscript.docx
  • Added Creator Chad E. Shenk
  • Added Creator Joseph R. Rausch
  • Added Creator Kenneth A. Shores
  • Added Creator Elizabeth K. Allen
  • Added Creator Anneke E. Olson
  • Published
  • Updated Keyword, Subtitle, Publication Date Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Contamination, Child maltreatment, Internalizing behaviors, Externalizing behaviors
    Subtitle
    • Impact on effect size estimates for child behavior problems measured throughout childhood and adolescence
    Publication Date
    • 2021-01-01
    • 2021-03-15
  • Updated