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Intervention Effectiveness Research in Adolescent Health Psychology: Methodological Issues and Strategies

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Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology

Abstract

Interventions to promote adolescent health have been widely implemented with a variety of goals, settings, populations, and approaches. Research evidence regarding effectiveness has been accumulating for some intervention approaches, yet the validity and integrity of this evidence and the way in which it is used require careful scrutiny. This chapter examines the scientific foundations for intervention effectiveness research and its use. The fundamental strategy of identifying and addressing plausible alternative explanations for research findings is emphasized, together with the importance of qualitative reasoning and well-justified argument. The essential roles of theory and demonstrated mechanisms of change, converging evidence, and research critique are discussed. Common threats to validity are reviewed, as are threats to research integrity potentially fueled by largely unintentional conflicts of interest and motivated reasoning. A case example critiquing research syntheses on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce adolescent sexual risk behaviors is used to illustrate frequently encountered issues and challenges.

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Notes

  1. 1.

     A separate question related to the meaning of effectiveness is how it differs from the concept of efficacy. Efficacy is used to refer to an intervention’s success under ideal and highly controlled conditions, whereas effectiveness refers to an intervention’s success under more typical real world conditions. Especially in medical research, efficacy studies are often conducted prior to effectiveness studies. While the focus of this chapter is on intervention effectiveness research, much of the discussion applies to efficacy studies as well.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Eva Goldfarb, Petra Jerman, Wendy Constantine, and Jessica Lin for critical review and suggestions. Preparation of this chapter was facilitated by grants from the Ford Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Research on Adolescent Health and Development, Public Health Institute, 555 12th Street, Oakland, CA, 94607, USA

    Norman A. Constantine Ph.D.

  2. School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    Norman A. Constantine Ph.D.

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  1. Norman A. Constantine Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Norman A. Constantine Ph.D. .

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  1. , Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, MS 0296, Reno, 89557-0062, New York, USA

    William T. O'Donohue

  2. , Department of Psychology, MS 0296, University of Nevada, Reno, North Virginia Street, Reno, 89557, Nevada, USA

    Lorraine T. Benuto

  3. , Integration Services, Aurora Mental Health Center, 11059 East Bethany Drive, Suite 105, Aurora, 80014, Colorado, USA

    Lauren Woodward Tolle

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Constantine, N.A. (2013). Intervention Effectiveness Research in Adolescent Health Psychology: Methodological Issues and Strategies. In: O'Donohue, W., Benuto, L., Woodward Tolle, L. (eds) Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6633-8_20

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