Major Revisions Required...
I did not pass (nor did I fail) my oral defense. There were some major problems with my measurement variables/theory so I have to put in a lot of work to remedy them. I am a bit depressed, but also hopeful that the finished project will be much stronger. The last few weeks, I had begun to realize some of the problems with the variables...but had hoped that it could be chalked up as a limitation of the study instead of having to redo the analyses. :) I was pretty sure I was going to have to do some pretty big revisions...so it didn't come as a complete shock. I was glad that everyone, together, offered me the direction I need...
I was also glad to hear that Drs. Hilton, Warren, and especially Olsen are going to be able to provide me the support/consultation time to finish up the project.
Here are some of the major problems I need to correct with the models/writeup:
Make statements re: the relative level of distress compared to norms (US or others if available). Complete t-tests to determine if the Bosnian youth are significantly different from the norms.
Enter a table with all of the means/sd of all the variables in the study.
Explain in greater detail what psychological control is, how parents can be psychologically controlling, and how common it is? (I'm not sure how to answer that last question)
Explain more clearly in the text what items ended up composing the externalizing latent variable, including the information re: the items you included at the end of the Hightower to beef up the externalizing questions...
Match the Parenting variables (Connection, psych control, monitoring) with the parent completing the questionnaire in order to form a latent variable of parental connection/parental psych control, and parental monitoring, instead of using maternal for Time 1, and mixed reports for Time 3. I need to do the same for parental psychological distress...match the parent-report to the adolescent report (i.e., if mothers completed the questionnaires, use the maternal measures...if fathers completed the questionnaires, use paternal measures...combine these into a new variable labeled parental connection/parental psych control/parental monitoring, etc.)
Remove hostility as a component of parental psychological distress and adolescent internalizing as it seemed closer related to externalizing.
Remove Time 3 parenting variables from the internalizing model
Better explain why I only did a cross-sectional analysis of the externalizing behaviors and explain why the externalizing measures changed (or your addendums were absent) at Times 2-4.
When the data is fixed, and models rerun, explain similarities and differences between the models...also Joe suggested I keep the two models as close as possible to each other, so I will add Time 1 monitoring to the internalizing model.
It is going to be a tremendous amount of work...I plan on getting started on it today...I feel a bit overwhelmed and disappointed, but like I said, I expected this to happen...and I am glad to have everyone's input into what to do to remedy the flaws.
I am especially glad that I didn't put even more time into the current paper and try to defend at a later date and run into these problems...that would have been even more discouraging. I think if I work diligently, I can have the analyses rerun and the write up done by Mid-September...then my committee needs to reconvene and I have to do it all over again. :) Too much fun...
My family is disappointed too...I guess we will just deal with it...
I was also glad to hear that Drs. Hilton, Warren, and especially Olsen are going to be able to provide me the support/consultation time to finish up the project.
Here are some of the major problems I need to correct with the models/writeup:
Make statements re: the relative level of distress compared to norms (US or others if available). Complete t-tests to determine if the Bosnian youth are significantly different from the norms.
Enter a table with all of the means/sd of all the variables in the study.
Explain in greater detail what psychological control is, how parents can be psychologically controlling, and how common it is? (I'm not sure how to answer that last question)
Explain more clearly in the text what items ended up composing the externalizing latent variable, including the information re: the items you included at the end of the Hightower to beef up the externalizing questions...
Match the Parenting variables (Connection, psych control, monitoring) with the parent completing the questionnaire in order to form a latent variable of parental connection/parental psych control, and parental monitoring, instead of using maternal for Time 1, and mixed reports for Time 3. I need to do the same for parental psychological distress...match the parent-report to the adolescent report (i.e., if mothers completed the questionnaires, use the maternal measures...if fathers completed the questionnaires, use paternal measures...combine these into a new variable labeled parental connection/parental psych control/parental monitoring, etc.)
Remove hostility as a component of parental psychological distress and adolescent internalizing as it seemed closer related to externalizing.
Remove Time 3 parenting variables from the internalizing model
Better explain why I only did a cross-sectional analysis of the externalizing behaviors and explain why the externalizing measures changed (or your addendums were absent) at Times 2-4.
When the data is fixed, and models rerun, explain similarities and differences between the models...also Joe suggested I keep the two models as close as possible to each other, so I will add Time 1 monitoring to the internalizing model.
It is going to be a tremendous amount of work...I plan on getting started on it today...I feel a bit overwhelmed and disappointed, but like I said, I expected this to happen...and I am glad to have everyone's input into what to do to remedy the flaws.
I am especially glad that I didn't put even more time into the current paper and try to defend at a later date and run into these problems...that would have been even more discouraging. I think if I work diligently, I can have the analyses rerun and the write up done by Mid-September...then my committee needs to reconvene and I have to do it all over again. :) Too much fun...
My family is disappointed too...I guess we will just deal with it...
posted by PsychDoctor at
4:39 PM
2 Comments:
Disappointing, yes, but at least you now know what you need to do. Sure, a little guidance from your chair before this point would have been nice, and maybe some of this could have been avoided, but it's better than failing. Don't get overwhelmed by it all, just chip away a little bit at a time and it'll be done before you know it (says the guy who's completely oeverwhelmed right now).
I am so sorry. I love you very much, and I feel very bad. You worked a lot of long, hard hours. You are almost done, then you can relax and enjoy life. Please don't feel too overwhelmed, you can break it up and do things a little at a time....that way, it won't see too much. What on earth will you do with all your time once that is finished? :)
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