Effectiveness research emerged from medical and pharmaceutical research. This method seeks to [Page 507]determine the effectiveness of specific interventions, devices, or medications for treatment of diseases or disorders. Inherent in this type of research is an assumption that results lead to a positive or therapeutic outcome. As disciplines move in the direction of using evidence to guide practice, effectiveness research has gained more attention as a way of determining which specific therapeutic interventions promote positive outcomes. Effectiveness research in marriage and family therapy involves the application of family therapy models and is designed to give more information on the efficacy of an intervention under ordinary situations. The purpose of effectiveness research in these settings is to implement the intervention under less controlled circumstances and evaluate ...