Research Methods, Data Analysis and Practice Evaluation 2

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Therease Taylor
Assignment 2: Data Presentation
SW 4810: Research Methods, Data Analysis and Practice Evaluation 2
Wayne State University
Instructor Dr. Sharonlyn Harrison

Research Methods, Data Analysis and Practice Evaluation 2

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Introduction

I have chosen five variables from the data set named Task 5 Hypothetical data, in the
SPSS. It is my intention to show evidence on how these variables influenced the research and
development of different types of treatment that will be considered. I have indicated the
importance of providing information on treatment strategies for individuals experiencing severe
behavioral incidents. The focus is on the number of traumas, in other words, does one traumatic
incident cause an individual to experience severe behavioral incidents or does ongoing, longterm traumatic incidents cause an individual to experience severe behavioral incidents. Although
the exact prevalence is unspecified, however, there is evidence showing that sports athletes in the
fields of boxing and American football incur numerous traumas to the cranial area and
commonly suffer more severe behavioral incidents. However, upon one hit, depending on the
impact of the hit, may cause severe behavioral incidents. The purpose of this study was to
determine the effectiveness of a recently developed medicine for treating traumatized individuals
suffering from severe behavioral incidents. There were three research questions examined in this
study.
We are also going to look at the number of students experiencing off-campus privileges.
We will be researching evidence of gender and ethnicity and how often the privilege was
extended. The variable questions are not intended for an accusation, but merely for method
determination. The questions and the associated null and alternative hypotheses listed provide the
beginning of interpreting the treatment methods.
Research Question #1: Is there an association between the number of traumas experienced and
SBI (Serious Behavioral Incidents)?
Null Hypotheses #1: Null hypothesis: There is not an association between the number of
traumas and SBI (Serious Behavioral Incidents). I reject the Pearson r Null Hypotheses, as it has

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been proven that multiple impacts to the cranial will produce numerous serious behavioral
incidents. Parkinsons disease is one of many of serious behavioral incidents resulting from
multiple impacts to the cranial.
Alternative Hypotheses #1: Alternative hypothesis: There is an association between the number
of traumas and SBI (Serious Behavioral Incidents)
Research Question #2: Research Question: What is the relationship between gender and
ethnicity of students off campus privileges?
Null Hypotheses #2: Null hypothesis: There is not a relationship between gender, ethnicity and
students off campus privileges
Alternative Hypotheses #2: Alternative hypothesis: There is a relationship between gender,
ethnicity, and students off-campus privileges.
Research Question #3: What is the relationship between the racial group and reported hours of
treatment canceled.
Null Hypotheses #3: Null hypothesis: There are no relationship between a racial group and
reported hours of treatment canceled.
I accept the Null Hypotheses. There are no relationship between racial groups and
reported hours of treatment canceled.
Alternative Hypotheses #3: There is relationship between racial group and reported hours of
treatment canceled
The following sections include the results of the analysis conducted to answer the prementioned research questions. The final section presents a discussion of the main results and
implications of the findings for social work, social welfare policy, and at-risk, culturally diverse
populations.

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UNIVARIATE STATISTICS
Descriptive statistics was conducted to examine the demographic characteristics of the sample.
Results of the analysis revealed that fifty individuals participated in the study. There were 25
males and 25 females, ages 21-35 years. Most of the individuals, 60%, had been identified as
having multiple impacts to the cranial area of the body, resulting in serious behavioral incidents.
Tables 1 and 2 below present the traumas and SBI, and gender and ethnicity. The former
champion boxer Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1984 at the age of 42 and is
one of the most high-profile people battling the condition. His brain injury could have been
caused from repeated blows to the head. (The Guardian, 2009)
Table 1

Descriptive Statistics
Mean

Number of Traumas Experienced

Number of serious behavioral
incidents

Table 2

Gender
Ethnicity
Valid N
(listwise)

Table 3

Caucasian
African
American
Valid
Hispanic
Other
Total

2.7000
5.5000

Descriptive Statistics
N
Minimu Maximu
m
m
50
1.00
2.00
50
1.00
4.00
50

Ethnicity
Frequency
Percent

Std.
Deviation
2.19694
5.48188

Mean
1.5000
1.9400

20
15

40.0
30.0

Valid
Percent
40.0
30.0

13
2
50

26.0
4.0
100.0

26.0
4.0
100.0

N
50
50

Std.
Deviation
.50508
.91272

Cumulative
Percent
40.0
70.0
96.0
100.0

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For both the new and routine treatments, there were 25 participants each. Data collected
regarding rate of serious behavioral incidents revealed that the number ranged from 0-22. The
mean and standard deviation for the occurrence of serious behavioral incidents are presented
below. The large standard deviation reveals that there was much dispersion in the number of
serious behavioral incidents reported for this sample.

Table 4

Descriptive Statistics Rate of Behavioral Incidents

N
Minimum Maximum Mean

Number of serious
behavioral incidents
Valid N (listwise)

50

.00

22.00

5.5000

Std.
Deviation
5.48188

50

Further analysis revealed that during trauma treatment, 50% (n=26) of the participants
earned off-campus privileges. Following the trauma treatment intervention, 70% (n=35) earned
off-campus privileges.

Bivariate Analysis
In order to determining whether there was a relationship between the gender and ethnicity of offcampus privileges a study was conducted and the results were:
Gender * Ethnicity * Earned off campus privileges post-treatment Cross tabulation
Count
Ethnicity

Total

Research Methods, Data Analysis and Practice Evaluation 2

Earned off campus privileges posttreatment
Male
Gender
Yes
Female
Total
Male
Gender
No
Female
Total
Male
Gender
Total
Female
Total
Table 5

Caucasian
7
7
14
1
5
6
8
12
20

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African
American

Hispanic

5
5
10
4
1
5
9
6
15

Other

5
5
10
2
1
3
7
6
13

1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
2

In order to determine whether there was a relationship between ethnicity and number of
treatment hours canceled, of improvement on the Trauma Symptoms Scale (change score) and
their reported rating of client-therapist relationship, a correlation analysis was conducted. The
findings of this analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation: (Kendalls tau-b =-.068
r2=0.30, p < 0.05) (See Table 6). Note Kendalls tau-b is the appropriate statistic for this
correlation given that the tool for measuring the quality of therapist/patient relationship is at the
ordinal level of measurement.
The direction of the correlation was positive, which means that residents who rated the
quality of the relationship with their therapist high tended to have better change scores. Using
Cohens guidelines the effect size is moderate to strong. The r2indicates that approximately 16%
of the variance in trauma scores (dependent variable) can be explained by the clients rating of
the quality of the relationship with their therapist.
Correlations
Ethnicit
y

Kendall's
tau_b

Ethnicity

Correlation
Coefficient
Sig. (2-tailed)

1.000

Number of
canceled
therapy
sessions
-.068

.564

18
17
35
7
8
15
25
25
50

Research Methods, Data Analysis and Practice Evaluation 2

Number of canceled
therapy sessions

N
Correlation
Coefficient
Sig. (2-tailed)
N

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50
-.068

50
1.000

.564
50

.
50

Table 6
A cross tabulation with the chi-square of treatment group by off-campus privileges was
performed to determine whether a relationship existed between treatment type (new or routine )
and the number of off-campus privileges earned. The results revealed that of the 25 individuals
who participated in the new treatment, 64% earned off-campus privileges as compared to only
36% of those receiving the typical intervention. The chi-square is the appropriate statistic for
determining if this difference is statistically significant Table 7 shows the Pearson chi-square
results and indicates that the treatment and routine group are significantly different on whether
they earned off-campus privileges (2 =3.92, df=1, p > .05).

Table 7
Cottage
Pearson Chi-Square
Likelihood Ratio
CottageA Linear-by-Linear
Association
N of Valid Cases
CottageB Pearson Chi-Square
Likelihood Ratio

Chi-Square Tests
Value
df
7.799b
9.655
.700

Asymp. Sig.
(2-sided)
3
.050
3
.022
1
.403

17
2.157b
2.522

3
3

.541
.471

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Linear-by-Linear
.051
1
.821
Association
N of Valid Cases
17
Pearson Chi-Square
1.444c
2
.486
Likelihood Ratio
1.498
2
.473
CottageC Linear-by-Linear
.000
1
1.000
Association
N of Valid Cases
16
Pearson Chi-Square
1.477a
3
.688
Likelihood Ratio
1.486
3
.685
Total
Linear-by-Linear
.600
1
.439
Association
N of Valid Cases
50
a. 2 cells (25.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum
expected count is 1.00.
b. 8 cells (100.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum
expected count is .41.
c. 6 cells (100.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum
expected count is 1.50.

Ethnicity * Number of canceled therapy sessions * Cottage Cross tabulation

Count
Cottage
Number of canceled therapy sessions
.00
1.00
2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00
CottageA Ethnicity Caucasian
1
2
0
1
1
0
0
African
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
American
Hispanic
0
1
1
1
2
2
0
Other
1
0
0
0
0
0
0

Total
5
4
7
1

Research Methods, Data Analysis and Practice Evaluation 2

Total
Caucasian
African
Ethnicity American
CottageB
Hispanic
Other
Total
Caucasian
African
Ethnicity
CottageC
American
Hispanic
Total
Caucasian
African
Ethnicity American
Total
Hispanic
Other
Total

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2
0
1

4
1
1

2
0
1

3
1
1

3
2
2

2
2
1

0
0
1
0
1

1
0
3
1
0

1
0
2
3
1

0
1
3
1
1

1
0
5
1
1

0
0
3
3
0

0
0

3
1
17
9
4

0
1
1
2

2
3
4
2

0
4
3
3

0
2
3
3

0
2
4
3

0
3
5
1

1
1
0
1

3
16
20
15

0
1
4

4
0
10

2
0
8

1
1
8

3
0
10

2
0
8

1
0
2

13
2
50

Table 8
Discussion
The findings of this study indicated that clients who participated in the study received
treatment for multiple traumas to the brain. The students who participated in assistance of the
study were more likely to obtain off-campus privileges. There was also a significant correlation
between the level of improvement on the Trauma Symptoms Scale and the reported quality of the
relationship between client and therapist. Results of data analysis also showed that there was a
difference in the number of serious behavioral incidents depending on cottage residence.

17
6
7

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References
(2009, Mar. 19 ). In The Guardian. Retrieved May. 8, 2013, from
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/20/parkinsons-disease-muhammad-ali
Pierik, J.. (2013, Mar. 20 ). In The Age Real Footy. Retrieved Apr. 16, 2013, from
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/campaigner-urges-longterm-view-on-sports-braininjury-20130319-2gdlm.html