Results

The first hypothesis predicted that participants with past experiences dealing with traumatic events would have increased retention of bleed control training and would, therefore, score higher on the post-training quiz. The Pearson correlation for the two variables was not significant r(89) = .15, p = .08, one-tailed. There was no significant correlation between having past experience with traumatic events and retaining the bleed control training, so the hypothesis was not supported.

The second hypothesis predicted that participants who are interested in premedical programs would have increased retention of bleed control training. The results of an independent samples t test showed that those who are interested in premedical programs (M = 8.26, SD = 1.13) did not score significantly better on the post-training quiz than those who are not interested in premedical programs (M = 8.03, SD = 1.24) t(87) = .79, p = .22, one-tailed. The hypothesis was, therefore, not supported.

The third and final hypothesis predicted that participants who believed that experiencing a traumatic event is probable would have increased retention of bleed control training. The Pearson correlation for the two variables was not significant r(90) = -.11, p = .16, one-tailed. Results showed an insignificant negative correlation, so the hypothesis was not supported.

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Hypothesis 1: Past Experience

Hypothesis 2: Perceived Probability of Experiencing a Traumatic Event

Hypothesis 2: Pre-med Intent

Interpretation

Our hypotheses predicted positive relationships between retention of bleed control training and the independent variables of past experience with traumatic events, the perceived probability of experiencing a traumatic event, and interest in premedical programs. The analysis showed that none of these hypotheses were supported, likely due to a ceiling effect (Salkind, 2010). The retention quiz was given directly following bleed control training, increasing the likelihood that participants would remember the training, even if interest was minimal. As such, most participants scored well on the post-training retention quiz, with the majority achieving passing scores. A better measure would involve a second assessment of retention at a later date, allowing us to see how retention is reduced over time for each independent variable.

The success of any kind of training depends on the retention of its participants. We looked at three possible factors affecting retention of the Stop the Bleed training: past trauma experience, interest in premedical programs, and belief in requiring training information in a real-world situation. All hypotheses proved unsupported.

Recommendations

Our study was limited in that it does not include retention data from any point beyond the day of training. Ideally, expansion on this study would include a third set of data. This data would be compiled in survey format verbatim or nearly identical to the retention quiz that was given to participants immediately after the training. However, the only significant difference would be that it be given to participants weeks after the training is over. Doing so will increase accuracy and provide clarity as to whether or not our hypothesized factors truly impact retention of training content. This information then allows for training administrators to modify and alter content as needed to attain maximum effectiveness.

Sources

-Salkind, N. J. (2010). Encyclopedia of research design (Vols. 1-0). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781412961288