Quasi-Experimental, Correlational, and Descriptive Designs 1 Flashcards
what is a quasi experimental design
attempt to investigate cause-effect relationships
no randomisation
what is a quasi-independent variable
a variable which can naturally vary between people and is not directly manipulated by the experimenter
what is an example of a quasi experimental design
experimenter cannot change participants age
what are the strengths of quasi independent design
attempt to determine cause and effect relationships and generalisation of findings to the real world
what are the disadvantages of quasi experimental design
lack of precise control over natural events or the participants exposed to them prevents the investigator from establishing definite cause and effect relationships
influence of extraneous factors
what is a correlational design
indicates the strength of associations among variables
versatile approach that can detect systematic relationships between two ro more variables
there is no manipulation and no randomisation, as people are already “manipulated” by natural life experiences
relationships are not necessarily causal
what is an example of correlational design
hypothesis: children who watch aggressive behaviour on TV have tendency to reproduce them
1) interview children to see what they watch
2) observe sample on playground and record aggressive behaviour
what are the strengths of correlational design
estimates strength and direction of relationship among variables
what are the disadvantages of correlational design
does not permit determination of cause and effect relationship
no causation
what is a cross-sectional design
data is analysed only to determine the distribution of one or more variables
observational design where investigator measures outcome and exposure in participants of different cohorts at the same time
often, people who differ in age are studied at the same point in time
cohort: group of people of the same age who are exposed to similar cultural environments and historical events as they are growing up
what is an advantage of cross sectional design
age differences, not expensive, little time to conduct
what is a disadvantage of cross sectional design
extraneous differences between cohorts rather than true changes
