Editorial: Research in Real-World Settings: Challenging the Limits of Experimental Design

Abstract

As underscored by Ponguta and colleagues in this issue of the Journal,¹ displacement secondary to war, poverty, and unsafe living conditions has affected large segments of the world's population, placing millions of children and their parents in highly stressful living conditions. Positive parenting, parenting that is warm, loving, and responsive to a child's needs, can mitigate the negative effects of early adversity and poverty on a child's behavioral, emotional, and cognitive development^2-4 and is one factor that can be targeted in otherwise almost immutable circumstances. Programs to support parents and to enhance positive parenting skills have proved effective across multiple countries and environments, including low- and middle-income countries⁵; however, efforts to rigorously test these programs in areas of highest need and psychosocial instability are rare. By conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Mother and Child Education Program (MOECP) in two refugee centers and one low-income community in Lebanon, Ponguta and colleagues defy this trend. Their work is an outstanding example of an effort to apply a rigorous scientific approach in a real-world setting underscoring both the value and the challenges inherent in this work.