Dependent variables in rehabilitation research.
It is important that rehabilitation professionals use appropriate techniques to evaluate their treatments. False, contradictory, diverse, and misleading interpretations can be obtained depending on how dependent variables in treatment outcome research are quantified. This report describes an evaluation of a single-subject investigation that used a push-up timer for teaching pressure relief maneuvers. Results are analyzed four separate ways, and can be taken to support three quite different conclusions. This illustrates that investigators should carefully select procedures of analysis before initiating a study to avoid having to make a post hoc and potentially biased selection of which mode(s) of data analysis and presentation is most appropriate. However, such an a priori selection of analysis does not relieve investigators of the responsibility for analyzing their data from different perspectives and discussing alternate or contradictory interpretations.
D000328:Adult; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012106:Research; D012107:Research Design