Behavioral Science

202 Deja Review: Behavioral Science
What is a retrospective study?
What is meant by a study being
“observational”?
What is meant by a study being
“experimental”?
What is a case-control study?
What is a cohort study?
What are the two types of cohort studies?
What is a prospective cohort study?
What is a retrospective cohort study?
A research study that starts after the
studied disease or outcome has
happened, and usually looks back
for factors that led to it.
The researcher separates subjects into
groups and merely waits for the
outcome in question to happen.
The researcher separates subjects into
groups and applies an intervention to
one or more of those groups, hoping
to modify the outcome.
An observational study that compares
subjects who have a disease or outcome
(cases) with subjects who do not have
an illness or outcome (controls).
Note: Groups are divided based on
disease presence (outcome).
An observational study that compares
subjects with and without a certain risk
factors or exposure. This study then
follows subjects for the development
of disease.
Note: Groups are divided based on risk
factor (exposure).
1. Prospective
2. Retrospective
A prospective cohort study evaluates a
cohort of individuals after they have
experienced the risk factor/exposure,
but before development of disease/
outcome. (Eg, a study is constructed to
evaluate whether children exposed to
secondhand smoke at birth will be more
susceptible to lung cancer than those
children not exposed, started when
children are 5 years old).
A retrospective cohort study evaluates a
cohort of individuals after both the risk
factor/exposure and the disease/outcome
have happened. (Eg, a study of if children
exposed to secondhand smoke at birth
will be more susceptible to lung cancer
than those children not exposed, started
at age 80).