OTA110_Ch:41_Research Methodology and Statistical Methods in Occupational Therapy

A comprehensive vocabulary review deck covering research methodologies, qualitative and quantitative designs, clinical assessment instruments, and commonly used statistical methods in occupational therapy research.

Basic Research

A form of research whose primary objectives are to discover new knowledge, investigate how things work, and refute or support theories that explain observed phenomena.

Applied Research

A form of research aimed at discovering solutions to practical problems or testing basic research findings in real-world conditions; the predominant research type conducted in occupational therapy and rehabilitative care.

Action Research

A practice-based research approach designed to document and improve individual clinical practice by identifying a problem, planning a solution, executing the plan, and assessing clinical outcomes.

Quantitative Research

An empirical research approach in which variables of interest are measured and represented in numerical form, using formal mathematical and statistical procedures for analysis.

Qualitative Research

A non-experimental research paradigm that collects non-numerical data (such as written descriptions, interviews, and pictures) to describe and record individual or group lived experiences, behaviors, perspectives, and values.

Measurement Validity

The extent to which values obtained from an evaluation instrument accurately represent the construct or variable they are intended to measure.

Measurement Reliability

The degree to which an assessment instrument yields consistent, reproducible scores that remain stable and free from measurement error over repeated administrations.

Random Sampling

A sampling method in which every individual in a target population has an equal chance of being selected, enabling researchers to generalize findings to a larger population.

Non-Random Sampling (Convenience Sampling)

A sampling technique in which participants are chosen based on accessibility or availability, limiting the generalizability of findings to a smaller, specific population.

Experimental Research Design

A quantitative research design that requires random sampling and random assignment to treatment or control groups to establish definitive cause-and-effect relationships.

Quasi-Experimental Research Design

A quantitative design used to evaluate differences between groups or conditions when true random sampling and placebo control groups are not feasible.

Nonexperimental Research Design

A quantitative design that observes and describes variables or examines relationships among them without introducing an active experimental manipulation or intervention.

Single-Subject Design

An experimental research design that investigates cause-and-effect relationships within a single individual case rather than generalizing outcomes across a larger cohort.

Case Study Design (Quantitative)

A non-experimental design that provides an in-depth, structured description of an individual's condition, background, and specific response to treatment.

Phenomenological Research Design

A qualitative approach focused on understanding individuals' lived experiences and exploring the subjective meanings they assign to those events.

Ethnographic Research Design

A qualitative methodology where researchers immerse themselves within an intact cultural group in its natural environment over an extended period to describe its culture and practices.

Case Study Design (Qualitative)

A qualitative research method designed to comprehend the lived experiences of a single individual, group, or context in depth by narrating their story.

Artifacts (Qualitative Data)

Physical, non-numerical materials—such as personal journals, drawings, or crafts—collected and reviewed by qualitative researchers to provide meaningful contextual evidence.

Trustworthiness

The standard of rigor in qualitative research determined by the credibility, validity, and reliability of the data collection and thematic analysis.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

An oversight committee responsible for safeguarding the ethical rights and welfare of human subjects by reviewing informed consent, confidentiality, and risk levels.

Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Research Role

Practitioner activities including gathering patient data for case studies, locating and interpreting literature to support clinical decisions, engaging in practice problems, and assessing client satisfaction or quality assurance.

9-Hole Peg Test

A standardized assessment used in occupational therapy to evaluate unilateral fine motor dexterity.

Dynamometer

A clinical measurement tool commonly used in occupational therapy practice to assess isometric hand grip strength.

Box and Blocks Test

A standardized occupational therapy test utilized to measure unilateral gross manual dexterity.

Motor Free Visual Perceptual Test (MVPT)

A standardized visual perceptual assessment designed for adolescents and adults that evaluates visual-cognitive skills without requiring motor output.

Peabody Developmental Motor Scales

A standardized pediatric evaluation tool that assesses fine and gross motor development in children from birth to $5$ years of age.

Developmental Test of Visual Perception

A standardized clinical test designed to evaluate visual perception and visual-motor integration specifically in pediatric populations.

Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency

A comprehensive standardized assessment measuring fine and gross motor performance in individuals aged $4$ to $21$ years.

Timed Get Up and Go Test

A functional standardized mobility assessment designed to evaluate dynamic balance and walking speed in clinical populations.

Test of Everyday Attention (TEA)

A standardized cognitive battery that evaluates three aspects of attention—selective attention, sustained attention, and attention switching—utilizing familiar, real-world materials.

Occupational Therapy Statistical Methods Study (Levine et al., 2025)

A brief report that examined $1{,}223$ articles published across $13$ core occupational therapy journals to determine the top $25$ most prevalent statistical methods.

Descriptive Statistics

Statistical calculations that summarize the basic features of a dataset; ranked #1 in occupational therapy research, appearing in $1{,}092$ of $1{,}223$ articles ($89.3\%$).

t Test

A parametric inferential statistical test comparing the difference between two sample means; ranked #2 in occupational therapy research ($382$ articles, $31.2\%$).

Confidence Interval (CI)

An estimated range of plausible values for an unknown population parameter based on sample data; ranked #3 in occupational therapy literature ($368$ articles, $30.1\%$).

Chi-Square ($\chi^2$) Test

A nonparametric statistical test used to evaluate independence or goodness-of-fit across categorical variables; ranked #4 in occupational therapy literature ($283$ articles, $23.1\%$).

Effect Size

A quantitative measurement quantifying the strength or magnitude of an experimental effect or observed relationship; ranked #5 in occupational therapy literature ($282$ articles, $23.1\%$).

Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

A parametric statistical test that evaluates differences across three or more group means; ranked #6 in occupational therapy literature ($246$ articles, $20.1\%$).

Parametric Correlations

Statistical procedures (such as Pearson's correlation coefficient) that assess linear relationships between continuous, normally distributed variables; ranked #7 in occupational therapy literature ($197$ articles, $16.1\%$).

Cronbach's $\alpha$

A statistical coefficient measuring the internal consistency and reliability of assessment scales; ranked #8 in occupational therapy literature ($169$ articles, $13.8\%$).

Post Hoc Analysis and Pairwise Comparisons

Follow-up statistical tests performed after a significant omnibus result (e.g., ANOVA) to pinpoint exact pairs of groups that differ; ranked #9 in occupational therapy literature ($166$ articles, $13.6\%$).

Thematic Analysis and Coding

A qualitative data analysis technique used to categorize, organize, and identify recurring patterns and themes; ranked #10 in occupational therapy literature ($152$ articles, $12.4\%$).

Linear Regression

A modeling technique that evaluates the predictive linear relationship between an independent variable and a continuous dependent variable; ranked #11 in occupational therapy literature ($122$ articles, $10.0\%$).

Nonparametric Correlations

Statistical tests (such as Spearman's rank order correlation) that quantify associations between ranked or non-normally distributed variables; ranked #12 in occupational therapy literature ($120$ articles, $9.8\%$).

Mann-Whitney U Test

A nonparametric statistical test that evaluates differences between two independent groups on ordinal or non-normally distributed data; ranked #13 in occupational therapy literature ($110$ articles, $9.0\%$).

Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test

A nonparametric test comparing two groups by ranking all observations to determine if they differ significantly; ranked #14 in occupational therapy literature ($108$ articles, $8.8\%$).

Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC)

A descriptive index assessing the reliability, concordance, or agreement among repeated measurements or multiple evaluators; ranked #15 in occupational therapy literature ($105$ articles, $8.6\%$).

Logistic Regression

A statistical regression method used when predicting a categorical or binary outcome variable; ranked #16 in occupational therapy literature ($95$ articles, $7.8\%$).

Shapiro-Wilks Test

A formal statistical hypothesis test used to check whether a dataset conforms to a normal distribution; ranked #17 in occupational therapy literature ($82$ articles, $6.7\%$).

Statistical Power

The probability that a statistical test will correctly detect a true effect and reject a false null hypothesis; ranked #18 in occupational therapy literature ($80$ articles, $6.5\%$).

Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)

A statistical procedure comparing differences between group means while statistically controlling for the effect of one or more continuous covariates; ranked #22 in occupational therapy literature ($52$ articles, $4.3\%$).