Nonexperimental and Quasi-Experimental Research Strategies

Question 1

What is a quasi-experimental strategy?

Answer 1

A research strategy that attempts to minimize internal validity and find cause-and-effect, but does not use manipulation or control to make it experimental

Question 1

What is a nonexperimental research strategy?

Answer 1

A research study that attempts to demonstrate a relationship between two variables by comparison but does not attempt to minimize internal validity nor explains the relationship

Question 2

What does the term ‘significant’ mean?

Answer 2

It is very unlikely that the difference between the groups of scores would occur if there is no corresponding difference in the population

Question 3

What are the 2 general categories of non-experimental and quasi-experimental designs?

Answer 3

1. Between-subjects
2. Within-subjects

Question 4

What is the purpose of between-subjects designs?

Answer 4

To compare pre-existing groups of individuals

Question 5

What is the purpose of within-subjects designs?

Answer 5

To compare two or more scores for one group of participants

Question 6

What is a nonequivalent group design?

Answer 6

A research study where different groups of participants formed under circumstances that do not allow the researcher to randomly assign them

Question 7

What built-in threat to internal validity do nonequivalent group designs have?

Answer 7

Individual differences

Question 8

What is a differential research design?

Answer 8

A nonexperimental research design that compares pre-existing groups to establish differences between them

Question 9

What are differential effects?

Answer 9

Time-related threats to internal validity that impact the groups differently

Question 10

What is a posttest-only nonequivalent control group design?

Answer 10

A nonexperimental design which two groups are measured at the same time with only one group receiving treatment

Question 11

What is a nonequivalent control group design?

Answer 11

A research design where the researcher does not randomly assign individuals to groups but uses pre-existing ones - one treatment and one control

Question 12

What is a pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design?

Answer 12

A quasi-experimental design comparing two nonequivalent groups where both experimental and groups are measured before and after treatment

Question 13

What are pre-post designs?

Answer 13

Quasi-experimental and nonexperimental designs consisting of a series of observations made over time for a group of participants

Question 14

What type of design measures each participant in a group once before and after treatment?

Answer 14

Pretest-posttest design

Question 15

What is a time-series design?

Answer 15

A series of observations for each participant before and after the treatment or event

Question 16

A time-series design where an intervening effect occurs that is not manipulated by the researcher is called what?

Answer 16

An interrupted time-series design

Question 17

What are developmental research designs used for?

Answer 17

Examining changes in behaviour related to age

Question 18

What between-subjects developmental research design compares different groups, both representing different ages?

Answer 18

Cross-sectional developmental research design

Question 19

Individuals who are born at roughly the same time and grew up in similar circumstances are called what?

Answer 19

Cohorts

Question 20

What are generation effects?

Answer 20

Differences between age groups caused by characteristics or experiences other than age

Question 21

What research design examines development by observing or measuring a group of cohorts over time?

Answer 21

Longitudinal developmental research design

Question 22

When participants drop out of a study, what is this known as?

Answer 22

Participant mortality/attrition

Question 23

What is a quasi-independent variable?

Answer 23

The variable that differentiates the groups or conditions being compared in quasi-experimental or nonexperimental designs