Date:
-
Location:
Nursing Building, Room 115
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s):
Linda M. Collins, PhD
When: Wednesday, January 9th, 11:00-12:00
Where: Nursing Building, Room 115
Presenter: Linda M. Collins, PhD
Director, The Methodology Center
Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Professor, Department of Statistics
Penn State University
Title:
Unpacking the black box: Engineering more potent behavioral interventions using The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST)
Abstract:
Behavioral interventions are typically developed and evaluated using a treatment package
approach. In this approach the intervention is assembled a priori and evaluated by means of a
randomized controlled trial (RCT). Using this approach, the intervention is a “black box”
because it is unknown which components of the intervention are working and which are not. In
this talk I will review an alternative approach called the Multiphase Optimization Strategy
(MOST). MOST is an engineering-inspired framework for developing, optimizing, and
evaluating behavioral interventions. MOST includes the RCT for intervention evaluation, but
also includes other steps before the RCT. These steps are aimed at empirically assessing the
performance of individual intervention components, and at intervention optimization using
criteria chosen by the behavioral scientist. The goal may be to develop an intervention made up
entirely of active components; to develop a cost-effective intervention; to achieve a specified
level of effectiveness; to arrive at the briefest intervention that achieves a minimum level of
effectiveness; or any other reasonable goal. The MOST framework relies heavily on resource
management by strategic choice of highly efficient experimental designs. I propose that MOST
offers several benefits, including more rapid long-run improvement of behavioral interventions,
without requiring a dramatic increase in intervention research resources.
Event Series: