An experimental study of countermeasures against threats :
real-world effects meet treatment effects

J 2022

An experimental study of countermeasures against threats : real-world effects meet treatment effects

CHYTILEK, Roman, Miroslav MAREŠ, Jakub DRMOLA, Lenka HRBKOVÁ, Petra MLEJNKOVÁ et. al.

Basic information

Original name

An experimental study of countermeasures against threats : real-world effects meet treatment effects

Authors

CHYTILEK, Roman (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Miroslav MAREŠ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Jakub DRMOLA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Lenka HRBKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Petra MLEJNKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Zuzana ŠPAČKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic) and Michal TÓTH (703 Slovakia, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Quality & Quantity, Dordrecht, Springer, 2022, 0033-5177

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

50601 Political science

Country of publisher

Netherlands

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 1.072 in 2017

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14230/22:00129457

Organization unit

Faculty of Social Studies

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11135-022-01354-4

Keywords in English

Security; Experiments; Contamination; Pre-treatment; Treatment efect

Abstract

V originále

The experimental study of positions on policies and measures against various new types of threat is fast becoming a mainstream research practice. In this article we argue as follows: in security studies in particular, there is a risk that the experimental treatment is contaminated by subjects’ previous experience of the real world (‘contamination’), and this may substantially complicate the assessment of the size of the experimental treatment’s causal effect. We discuss ways to decrease the risk of uncontrolled contamination. Using two experimental case studies we show two typical cases of contamination in security studies (one, where the contamination of all treatments was extremely high, and another, where the level of contamination was unknown and might have varied across the experimental groups) and consider what this implies for the substantive results of the experiments. An analysis of contamination should become a routine, especially when reporting security experiments.

Links

TL01000398, research and development project

Name: Experimentální výzkum individuálních reakcí na hrozby v kyberprostoru (Acronym: EXKYB)

Investor: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

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Citovat

CHYTILEK, Roman, Miroslav MAREŠ, Jakub DRMOLA, Lenka HRBKOVÁ, Petra MLEJNKOVÁ, Zuzana ŠPAČKOVÁ and Michal TÓTH. An experimental study of countermeasures against threats : real-world effects meet treatment effects. Quality & Quantity. Dordrecht: Springer, 2022, vol. 56, No 6, p. 4825-4840. ISSN 0033-5177. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11135-022-01354-4.

@article{1836782,
   author = {Chytilek, Roman and Mareš, Miroslav and Drmola, Jakub and Hrbková, Lenka and Mlejnková, Petra and Špačková, Zuzana and Tóth, Michal},
   article_location = {Dordrecht},
   article_number = {6},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11135-022-01354-4},
   keywords = {Security; Experiments; Contamination; Pre-treatment; Treatment efect},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0033-5177},
   journal = {Quality & Quantity},
   title = {An experimental study of countermeasures against threats : real-world effects meet treatment effects},
   url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11135-022-01354-4},
   volume = {56},
   year = {2022}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1836782
AU  - Chytilek, Roman - Mareš, Miroslav - Drmola, Jakub - Hrbková, Lenka - Mlejnková, Petra - Špačková, Zuzana - Tóth, Michal
PY  - 2022
TI  - An experimental study of countermeasures against threats : real-world effects meet treatment effects
JF  - Quality & Quantity
VL  - 56
IS  - 6
SP  - 4825-4840
EP  - 4825-4840
PB  - Springer
SN  - 00335177
KW  - Security
KW  - Experiments
KW  - Contamination
KW  - Pre-treatment
KW  - Treatment efect
UR  - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11135-022-01354-4
N2  - The experimental study of positions on policies and measures against various new types of threat is fast becoming a mainstream research practice. In this article we argue as follows: in security studies in particular, there is a risk that the experimental treatment is contaminated by subjects’ previous experience of the real world (‘contamination’), and this may substantially complicate the assessment of the size of the experimental treatment’s causal effect. We discuss ways to decrease the risk of uncontrolled contamination. Using two experimental case studies we show two typical cases of contamination in security studies (one, where the contamination of all treatments was extremely high, and another, where the level of contamination was unknown and might have varied across the experimental groups) and consider what this implies for the substantive results of the experiments. An analysis of contamination should become a routine, especially when reporting security experiments.
ER  -

CHYTILEK, Roman, Miroslav MAREŠ, Jakub DRMOLA, Lenka HRBKOVÁ, Petra MLEJNKOVÁ, Zuzana ŠPAČKOVÁ and Michal TÓTH. An experimental study of countermeasures against threats : real-world effects meet treatment effects. \textit{Quality \&{} Quantity}. Dordrecht: Springer, 2022, vol.~56, No~6, p.~4825-4840. ISSN~0033-5177. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11135-022-01354-4.

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