Research Article

Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates

Volume: 12 Number: 1 June 30, 2022
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Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates

Abstract

Multilevel regression discontinuity designs have been increasingly used in education research to evaluate the effectiveness of policy and programs. It is common to ignore a level of nesting in a three-level data structure (students nested in classrooms/teachers nested in schools), whether unwittingly during data analysis or due to resource constraints during the planning phase. This study investigates the consequences of ignoring intermediate or top level in blocked three-level regression discontinuity designs (BIRD3; treatment is at level 1) during data analysis and planning. Monte Carlo simulation results indicated that ignoring a level during analysis did not affect the accuracy of treatment effect estimates; however, it affected the precision (standard errors, power, and Type I error rates). Ignoring the intermediate level did not cause a significant problem. Power rates were slightly underestimated, whereas Type I error rates were stable. In contrast, ignoring a top-level resulted in overestimated power rates; however, severe inflation in Type I error deemed this strategy ineffective. As for the design phase, when the intermediate level was ignored, it is viable to use parameters from a two-level blocked regression discontinuity model (BIRD2) to plan a BIRD3 design. However, level 2 parameters from the BIRD2 model should be substituted for level 3 parameters in the BIRD3 design. When the top level was ignored, using parameters from the BIRD2 model to plan a BIRD3 design should be avoided.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

-

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2022

Submission Date

February 6, 2022

Acceptance Date

June 4, 2022

Published in Issue

Year 2022 Volume: 12 Number: 1

APA
Bulus, M., & Dong, N. (2022). Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates. Adıyaman University Journal of Educational Sciences, 12(1), 42-55. https://doi.org/10.17984/adyuebd.1068923
AMA
1.Bulus M, Dong N. Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates. AUJES. 2022;12(1):42-55. doi:10.17984/adyuebd.1068923
Chicago
Bulus, Metin, and Nianbo Dong. 2022. “Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-Level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates”. Adıyaman University Journal of Educational Sciences 12 (1): 42-55. https://doi.org/10.17984/adyuebd.1068923.
EndNote
Bulus M, Dong N (June 1, 2022) Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates. Adıyaman University Journal of Educational Sciences 12 1 42–55.
IEEE
[1]M. Bulus and N. Dong, “Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates”, AUJES, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 42–55, June 2022, doi: 10.17984/adyuebd.1068923.
ISNAD
Bulus, Metin - Dong, Nianbo. “Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-Level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates”. Adıyaman University Journal of Educational Sciences 12/1 (June 1, 2022): 42-55. https://doi.org/10.17984/adyuebd.1068923.
JAMA
1.Bulus M, Dong N. Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates. AUJES. 2022;12:42–55.
MLA
Bulus, Metin, and Nianbo Dong. “Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-Level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates”. Adıyaman University Journal of Educational Sciences, vol. 12, no. 1, June 2022, pp. 42-55, doi:10.17984/adyuebd.1068923.
Vancouver
1.Metin Bulus, Nianbo Dong. Consequences of Ignoring a Level of Nesting on Design and Analysis of Blocked Three-level Regression Discontinuity Designs: Power and Type I Error Rates. AUJES. 2022 Jun. 1;12(1):42-55. doi:10.17984/adyuebd.1068923

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
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