Study 1
Sargent and colleagues (2016a) conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the Change A Life program in a sample of adults from a large urban area. The sample was recruited through a Craigslist advertisement. Participants had to be over the age of 18 to be eligible for the study.
The sample consisted of 78 females and 31 males, for a total of 109 participants. Participants were 41 percent white, 36 percent Black, 17 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Asian, and 2 percent other race/ethnicity. Participants were randomly assigned to the Change A Life condition (n = 54) or to the control condition, which was an online educational video on early detection of Alzheimer’s (n = 56). There were no statistically significant differences between groups on most demographic variables, but participants in the Change A Life condition (average age, 42.35 years) were older than participants in the control condition (average age, 36.25 years). Baseline assessments were conducted from June through July 2014. Participants in both conditions participated in a 60- to 90-minute lab visit to answer questionnaires and view an online program. A week later, they were emailed a follow-up questionnaire that took 30 to 45 minutes to complete. The average number of days between completion of the initial program and the follow up was 8.45 and did not differ significantly between groups. A limitation of the study design was the short 1-week follow-up period.
To test participants’ knowledge about consequences of domestic violence (DV) and how to help children exposed to DV, participants completed a questionnaire of 16 true-false questions based on the Change A Life program contents. Participants completed a 10-item scale to measure their confidence in their ability to help children exposed to DV. Researchers also measured participants’ history of childhood DV exposure using the Physical Assault subscale of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale as a moderator. Mixed-design ANOVAs were conducted to analyze the data. The study authors conducted subgroup analyses looking at the impact of childhood DV exposure and participant sex on the outcome measures.
Study 2
Sargent and colleagues (2016b) also conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the Change A Life program in a sample of students from a midsize, private university in the southwestern United States. The sample was recruited from undergraduate psychology classes. Participants had to be university students to be eligible for the study.
The sample consisted of 117 females and 29 males, for a total of 146 participants. Participants were 70 percent white, 12 percent Asian, 11 percent Hispanic, 6 percent Black, and 1 percent other race/ethnicity. Participants were randomly assigned to the Change A Life condition (n = 78) or the control condition, which was an online educational video on early detection of Alzheimer’s (n = 68). Baseline assessments were conducted from January through March 2015. The two groups did not significantly differ on any demographic variables. Participants in both conditions participated in a 60- to 90-minute lab visit to answer questionnaires and view an online program. A week later, they were emailed a follow-up questionnaire, which took 30 to 45 minutes to complete. The average number of days between completion of the initial program and the follow-up period was 8.73 and did not differ significantly between groups. A limitation of the study design was the short 1-week follow-up period.
To test participants’ knowledge about consequences of domestic violence (DV) and how to help children exposed to DV, participants completed a questionnaire of 16 true-false questions based on the Change A Life program contents. Participants completed a 10-item scale to measure their confidence in their ability to help children exposed to DV. Researchers also measured participants’ history of childhood DV exposure using the Physical Assault subscale of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale as a moderator. Mixed-design ANOVAs were conducted to analyze the data. The study authors conducted subgroup analyses looking at the impact of childhood DV exposure and participant sex on the outcome measures.