Meta Analysis

• :) Finds trends in data

  :) analyses multiple studies, allowing trends/relationships to be found in symptoms, therapies of issues generated by clinical studies. Meta-analysis involves statistical analysis and because it uses more data than single studies, the power of the stat result is larger than the result of the single studies. T/f patterns can be found to aid diagnosis of clinical disorders, and generate a direction for further research
• :) Large sample size

  :) Although og studies used may have had small samples of patients with clinical disorders, meta-analysis combines findings and so ensures that a larger sample of patients to draw conclusions from. furthermore, some studies can be from different cultures allowing universality of a disorder to be found. T/f increases representativeness of the sample, and so the findings can be generalised to the wider pop
• :( Secondary Data

  studies used are unlikely to be identical in their hypothesis, research method, procedure, sampling and decision making, so putting results together may produce a meta-analysis with low validity. T/f decreases validity of the patterns and trends that the meta-analysis set out to find
• :( Publication Bias

  only uses published studies ab clinical disorders, which can distort the findings as studies show that negative or non-significant results are less likely to be published. T/f reducing validity of findings as all possible research in the area has not been included in the analysis
• AO1 2 - conclusions

  If a number of studies separately come to the same conclusion, the conclusion becomes stronger as the studies support one another.
• AO1 3 - technique

  It's more a technique of analysis then a research method as the studies have already been carried out with the research methods chosen and separate analysis' already done.
• AO1 4 - stat approach

  • It's a statistical approach, so generally will use quantitative findings from previous studies. A meta analysis can also help judge where studies find different answers.
• AO1 1 - form of secondary data


  • A meta analysis is a form of secondary data, where a researcher combines the findings from multiple studies about the same topic and analyses them as a whole E.g. taking findings from 5 studies about influence of war on PTSD.