Attrition (research)

Attrition (Research)

Attrition in research refers to the loss of participants during the course of a longitudinal study. This phenomenon can introduce bias into the study, potentially skewing the results and undermining the validity of the findings. Attrition can occur for a variety of reasons, including participant withdrawal, loss of contact, or death.

Types of Attrition

There are two main types of attrition: random and non-random.

Random attrition occurs when the participants who drop out of the study do so in a way that is not related to the variables being studied. This type of attrition is less problematic as it does not introduce bias into the study.

Non-random attrition, on the other hand, occurs when the participants who drop out of the study do so in a way that is related to the variables being studied. This type of attrition can introduce bias into the study and can potentially undermine the validity of the findings.

Effects of Attrition

Attrition can have a number of effects on a study. It can reduce the sample size, which can decrease the statistical power of the study. It can also introduce bias, particularly if the attrition is non-random. This can skew the results and potentially lead to incorrect conclusions being drawn.

Managing Attrition

There are several strategies that researchers can use to manage attrition. These include maintaining regular contact with participants, offering incentives for continued participation, and using statistical methods to account for missing data.

See Also

• Longitudinal study
• Bias (statistics)
• Sample size
• Statistical power

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