Roughly speaking: “Act normal” vs “Use Beeminder” vs “some alternative intervention”. Basically, I expect to see “do something different” produce results, at least for a little while, for almost any value of “something different”. Literally anything at all that didn’t make it clear to the placebo group that they were the placebo group. Maybe some non-Beeminder exercise and intake tracking. Maybe a prescribed simple exercise routine + non-Beeminder tracking.
I’m glad you’re here. My background is in backend web software, and stats once the data has been collected. I read “Measuring the Weight of Smoke” in college, but that’s not really a sufficient background to design the general protocol. That’s a lot of my motivation behind posting this to LW—there seem to be protocol experts here, with great critiques of the existing ones.
My hope is we can create a “getting started testing” document that gets honest companies on the right track. Searching around the web I’m finding things like this rather than serious guides to proper placebo creation.
In general, who will review proposed studies for things like suitable placebo decisions?
I sincerely hope that study plan would not pass muster. Doesn’t there need to be a more reasonable placebo?
In general, who will review proposed studies for things like suitable placebo decisions?
Can you provide an example of what you’d like to see pass muster?
Roughly speaking: “Act normal” vs “Use Beeminder” vs “some alternative intervention”. Basically, I expect to see “do something different” produce results, at least for a little while, for almost any value of “something different”. Literally anything at all that didn’t make it clear to the placebo group that they were the placebo group. Maybe some non-Beeminder exercise and intake tracking. Maybe a prescribed simple exercise routine + non-Beeminder tracking.
I’m glad you’re here. My background is in backend web software, and stats once the data has been collected. I read “Measuring the Weight of Smoke” in college, but that’s not really a sufficient background to design the general protocol. That’s a lot of my motivation behind posting this to LW—there seem to be protocol experts here, with great critiques of the existing ones.
My hope is we can create a “getting started testing” document that gets honest companies on the right track. Searching around the web I’m finding things like this rather than serious guides to proper placebo creation.
I’m hoping either registered statistical consultants or grad students. Hopefully this can be streamlined by a good introductory guide.