A Meta-Analytic Investigation of the Association Between Working Alliance and Outcomes of Individual Career Counseling

2020 ◽  
pp. 106907272098503
Author(s):  
Francis Milot-Lapointe ◽  
Yann Le Corff ◽  
Nicole Arifoulline
Keyword(s):  
Working Alliance ◽  
Career Counseling ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Weighted Mean ◽  
Analytic Investigation ◽  
Unpublished Studies ◽  
Meta Analyses

This article reports on the results of the first meta-analysis of the association between working alliance and outcomes of individual career counseling. This random-effects meta-analysis included 18 published and unpublished studies that produced a weighted mean effect size of r = .42. This effect size was heterogeneous across studies. Separate meta-analyses were conducted for several types of outcomes: Career outcomes, mental health outcomes, and client-perceived quality of the intervention. Average effect sizes for the association between working alliance and types of outcomes were .28, .18 and .62, respectively. Moderator analyses indicated that the overall mean effect size ( r =.42) varied in a large proportion as a function of the type of outcomes and the time of assessment of working alliance (first session, mid or at termination of the counseling service). Our results confirm that working alliance is associated to career counseling effectiveness and suggest that career counselors should emphasize on the working alliance during the career counseling process. In conclusion, this article provides suggestions for practice in individual career counseling and avenues of research on working alliance in this context.

scholarly journals A Statistical Method for Synthesizing Meta-Analyses

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liansheng Larry Tang ◽  
Michael Caudy ◽  
Faye Taxman
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Method ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Weighted Mean ◽  
Summary Effect ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Size Estimates ◽  
Similar Search

Multiple meta-analyses may use similar search criteria and focus on the same topic of interest, but they may yield different or sometimes discordant results. The lack of statistical methods for synthesizing these findings makes it challenging to properly interpret the results from multiple meta-analyses, especially when their results are conflicting. In this paper, we first introduce a method to synthesize the meta-analytic results when multiple meta-analyses use the same type of summary effect estimates. When meta-analyses use different types of effect sizes, the meta-analysis results cannot be directly combined. We propose a two-step frequentist procedure to first convert the effect size estimates to the same metric and then summarize them with a weighted mean estimate. Our proposed method offers several advantages over existing methods by Hemming et al. (2012). First, different types of summary effect sizes are considered. Second, our method provides the same overall effect size as conducting a meta-analysis on all individual studies from multiple meta-analyses. We illustrate the application of the proposed methods in two examples and discuss their implications for the field of meta-analysis.

scholarly journals Predictability of rotational tooth movement with orthodontic aligners comparing software-based and achieved data: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

2021 ◽  
pp. 146531252110272
Author(s):  
Despina Koletsi ◽  
Anna Iliadi ◽  
Theodore Eliades
Keyword(s):  
Effect Size ◽  
Tooth Movement ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Enamel Reduction

Objective: To evaluate all available evidence on the prediction of rotational tooth movements with aligners. Data sources: Seven databases of published and unpublished literature were searched up to 4 August 2020 for eligible studies. Data selection: Studies were deemed eligible if they included evaluation of rotational tooth movement with any type of aligner, through the comparison of software-based and actually achieved data after patient treatment. Data extraction and data synthesis: Data extraction was done independently and in duplicate and risk of bias assessment was performed with the use of the QUADAS-2 tool. Random effects meta-analyses with effect sizes and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed and the quality of the evidence was assessed through GRADE. Results: Seven articles were included in the qualitative synthesis, of which three contributed to meta-analyses. Overall results revealed a non-accurate prediction of the outcome for the software-based data, irrespective of the use of attachments or interproximal enamel reduction (IPR). Maxillary canines demonstrated the lowest percentage accuracy for rotational tooth movement (three studies: effect size = 47.9%; 95% CI = 27.2–69.5; P < 0.001), although high levels of heterogeneity were identified (I2: 86.9%; P < 0.001). Contrary, mandibular incisors presented the highest percentage accuracy for predicted rotational movement (two studies: effect size = 70.7%; 95% CI = 58.9–82.5; P < 0.001; I2: 0.0%; P = 0.48). Risk of bias was unclear to low overall, while quality of the evidence ranged from low to moderate. Conclusion: Allowing for all identified caveats, prediction of rotational tooth movements with aligner treatment does not appear accurate, especially for canines. Careful selection of patients and malocclusions for aligner treatment decisions remain challenging.

scholarly journals Minor Physical Anomalies in Bipolar Disorder—A Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eszter Varga ◽  
András Hajnal ◽  
Alexandra Soós ◽  
Péter Hegyi ◽  
Dóra Kovács ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Bipolar Disorders ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Weighted Mean ◽  
Quality Of Evidence ◽  
Minor Physical Anomalies ◽  
The Brain

Introduction: Minor physical anomalies (MPAs) may reflect basic neurobiological features underlying bipolar disorders (BPD), as they are sensitive physical indicators of morphogenetic failure of the brain. Despite several researches about the presence of MPAs in BPD, the results are still controversial.Objectives: The aim of the present meta-analysis was to assess the standardized weighted mean effect sizes of MPAs in BPD and to examine if MPAs may be found predominantly in the head and/or facial regions in BPD patients compared to controls (HC).Methods: Four studies, involving 155 patients with BPD, and 187 HC, were involved in the analysis after searching the literature. For the investigation of MPAs in the peripheral (MPA-P) and in the head and facial regions (MPA-CF), two studies involving 121 BPD patients, and 133 HC passed the inclusion criteria.Results: The number of the MPAs in the BPD group was significantly higher compared to HC. Another important finding of the present study is that BPD patients' MPA-P scores do not significantly differ from those of the HC. In contrast, BPD patients' MPA-CF scores were found to be significantly higher compared to HC subjects. It is important to note that there was a low number of eligible publications included, which caused higher heterogeneity.Conclusions: Low quality of evidence suggests that MPAs are more common in patients with BPD than in HC and the higher rate of MPAs is found predominantly in the head and facial regions.

scholarly journals Comparative clinical trials in psychotherapy: Have large effects been replicated?

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nickolas D. Frost ◽  
Thomas W. Baskin ◽  
Bruce E. Wampold
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Treatment Efficacy ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Average Quality ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Aims The purpose of this review is to examine the replication attempts of psychotherapy clinical trials for depression and anxiety. We focus specifically on replications of trials that exhibit large differences between psychotherapies. The replicability of these trials is especially important for meta-analysis, where the inclusion of false-positive trials can lead to erroneous conclusions about treatment efficacy. Methods Standard replication criteria were developed to distinguish direct from conceptual replication methodologies. Next, an exhaustive literature search was conducted for published meta-analyses of psychotherapy comparisons. Trials that exhibited large effects (d > 0.8) were culled from these meta-analyses. For each trial, a cited replication was conducted to determine if the trial had been subsequently replicated by either ‘direct’ or ‘conceptual’ methods. Finally, a broader search was conducted to examine the extent of replication efforts in the psychotherapy literature overall. Results In the meta-analytic search, a total of N = 10 meta-analyses met the inclusion criteria. From these meta-analyses, N = 12 distinct trials exhibited large effect sizes. The meta-analyses containing more than two large effect trials reported evidence for treatment superiority. A cited replication search yielded no direct replication attempts (N = 0) for the trials with large effects, and N = 4 conceptual replication attempts of average or above average quality. However, of these four attempts, only two partially corroborated the results from their original trial. Conclusion Meta-analytic reviews are influenced by trials with large effects, and it is not uncommon for these reviews to contain several such trials. Since we find no evidence that trials with such large effects are directly replicable, treatment superiority conclusions from these reviews are highly questionable. To enhance the quality of clinical science, the development of authoritative replication criteria for clinical trials is needed. Moreover, quality benchmarks should be considered before trials are included in a meta-analysis, or replications are attempted.

scholarly journals The comparative effectiveness of physical exercise interventions in individuals with chronic non-specific neck pain: protocol for a network meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. e034846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rutger MJ de Zoete ◽  
James H McAuley ◽  
Nigel R Armfield ◽  
Michele Sterling
Keyword(s):  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Neck Pain ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Network Effect ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Meta Analyses

IntroductionNeck pain is a global burdensome problem, with a large proportion of neck pain cases becoming chronic. Although physical exercise is a commonly prescribed treatment, the evidence on the effectiveness of isolated exercise interventions remains limited. Traditional pairwise randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses are limited in only comparing two interventions. This protocol describes the design of a network meta-analysis, which enables a comparative investigation of all physical exercise interventions for which RCTs are available. We aim to systematically compare the effectiveness of different types of physical exercise in people with chronic non-specific neck pain.Methods and analysisNine electronic databases (AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, MEDLINE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, PsycINFO, Scopus and SPORTDiscus) were searched for RCTs from inception to 12 March 2019. Titles and abstract firstly, and full-text papers secondly, will be screened by two reviewers. Data will be extracted by two reviewers. The primary outcome measure is effectiveness of the intervention. Methodological quality of included studies will be assessed by two reviewers using the PEDro scale. The overall quality of evidence will be assessed with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, which has been adapted for network meta-analyses. The available evidence will be summarised using a network diagram. A contribution matrix will be presented to allow assessment of direct and indirect evidence. Forest plots will be constructed to visualise effects of all included exercise interventions. Pairwise effect sizes will be calculated by including all evidence available in the network. Effect measures for treatments that have not been compared in a pairwise RCT can be compared indirectly by contrasting effect sizes of comparisons with a common comparator.Ethics and disseminationThis work synthesises evidence from previously published studies and does not require ethics review or approval. A manuscript describing the findings will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019126523.

Effect of exercise training on quality of life in multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.W. Motl ◽  
J.L. Gosney
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Exercise Training ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Training Interventions ◽  
Manual Search ◽  
Exercise Stimulus

Using meta-analytic procedures, this study examined the overall effect of exercise training interventions on quality of life (QOL) among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). We searched MEDLINE, PSYCHINFO and CURRENT CONTENTS PLUS for the period of 1960 to November 2006 using the key words exercise, physical activity and physical fitness in conjunction with QOL and MS. We further conducted a manual search of bibliographies of the retrieved papers as well as literature reviews and contacted study authors about additional studies. Twenty-five journal articles were located and reviewed, and only 13 provided enough data to compute effect sizes expressed as Cohen's d. One hundred and nine effect sizes were retrieved from the 13 studies with 484 MS participants and yielded a weighted mean effect size of g = 0.23 (95% CI = 0.15, 0.31). There were larger effects associated with MS-specific measures of QOL and fatigue as an index of QOL. The nature of the exercise stimulus further influenced the magnitude of the mean effect size. The cumulative evidence supports that exercise training is associated with a small improvement in QOL among individuals with MS. Multiple Sclerosis 2008; 14: 129—135. http://msj.sagepub.com

Can Reliance be Placed on a Single Meta-Analysis?

1990 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel McConaghy
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Consistent Finding ◽  
Placebo Controls ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
Meta Analyses

Meta-analysis replaced statistical significance with effect size in the hope of resolving controversy concerning evaluation of treatment effects. Statistical significance measured reliability of the effect of treatment, not its efficacy. It was strongly influenced by the number of subjects investigated. Effect size as assessed originally, eliminated this influence but by standardizing the size of the treatment effect could distort it. Meta-analyses which combine the results of studies which employ different subject types, outcome measures, treatment aims, no-treatment rather than placebo controls or therapists with varying experience can be misleading. To ensure discussion of these variables meta-analyses should be used as an aid rather than a substitute for literature review. While meta-analyses produce contradictory findings, it seems unwise to rely on the conclusions of an individual analysis. Their consistent finding that placebo treatments obtain markedly higher effect sizes than no treatment hopefully will render the use of untreated control groups obsolete.

Assessing Study Quality in Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 334-342
Author(s):  
Thomas Hugh Feeley
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Study Quality ◽  
Acceptable Standard ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Relationship Of

Abstract An assumption of meta-analyses is made with regard to the quality of the primary studies included for analysis. Specifically, the process assumes each study is a valid estimation of a hypothesized relationship of interest. In instances when a primary study's quality is below an acceptable standard, one option is for the study be excluded from further analyses. Alternatively, studies of acceptable merit could be further investigated through moderator analyses in an attempt to explain heterogeneity among effect sizes due to quality elements. The current essay discusses methods for evaluating study quality before proposing guidelines for their assessment. It is recommended that future meta-analyses in communication include a dedicated section detailing how study quality is addressed when reviewing studies for inclusion.

scholarly journals Examining Psychological Science through Systematic Meta-Method Analysis: A Call for Research

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malte Elson
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Research Synthesis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Psychological Science ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Method Analysis

Research synthesis is based on the assumption that when the same association between constructs is observed repeatedly in a field, the relationship is probably real, even if its exact magnitude can be debated. Yet this probability is not only a function of recurring results, but also of the quality and consistency in the empirical procedures that produced those results and that any meta-analysis necessarily inherits. Standardized protocols in data collection, analysis, and interpretation are important empirical properties, and a healthy sign of a discipline's maturity.This manuscript proposes that meta-analyses as typically applied in psychology benefit from complementing their aggregates of observed effect sizes by systematically examining the standardization of methodology that deterministically produced them. Potential units of analyses are described and two examples are offered to illustrate the benefits of such efforts. Ideally, this synergetic approach emphasizes the role of methods in advancing theory by improving the quality of meta-analytic inferences.

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Studies of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Marie Furtak ◽  
Tina Seidel ◽  
Heidi Iverson ◽  
Derek C. Briggs
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Science Teaching ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Science Education Reform ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Meta Analyses

Although previous meta-analyses have indicated a connection between inquiry-based teaching and improved student learning, the type of instruction characterized as inquiry based has varied greatly, and few have focused on the extent to which activities are led by the teacher or student. This meta-analysis introduces a framework for inquiry-based teaching that distinguishes between cognitive features of the activity and degree of guidance given to students. This framework is used to code 37 experimental and quasi-experimental studies published between 1996 and 2006, a decade during which inquiry was the main focus of science education reform. The overall mean effect size is .50. Studies that contrasted epistemic activities or the combination of procedural, epistemic, and social activities had the highest mean effect sizes. Furthermore, studies involving teacher-led activities had mean effect sizes about .40 larger than those with student-led conditions. The importance of establishing the validity of the treatment construct in meta-analyses is also discussed.

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