Pre- and True

Experimental
Research
Designs

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Explain why experimental designs are so
important.

Identify and summarize examples of pre-
experimental and true experimental designs.

Discuss the major difference between pre-
experimental and true experimental designs
and how this impacts the ability to determine
causality.

Discuss the importance of randomization to
the experimental design.

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Distinguish between internal and external
validity in research design.

List and provide examples of the threats to
internal validity.

List and explain the threats to external
validity.

Discuss how researchers control for
extraneous variables.

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Experimental Designs

Internal and External Validity and
Experimental Design

Controlling Extraneous Variables

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

Allow statements about cause and effect
◦ By controlling potential sources of variance

The simplest experimental design
◦ Randomly selects subjects from population
◦ Experimental group—receives treatment
◦ Control group—does not receive treatment

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

 Pre- True Quasi-
Experimental Experimental Experimental
Design Design Design
Presence of a control In some cases, Always Often
group? but usually not
Random selection of No Yes No
subjects from a
population?
Random assignment No Yes No
of subjects to
groups?
Random assignment No Yes No
of treatments to
groups?
Degree of control None Yes Some
over extraneous
variables?

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

Participants are assigned to one group Treatment Post-Test

◦ No randomization

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

Compare same subjects before and after treatment

Post-
Participants are assigned to one group Pretest Treatment
Test

– No randomization
– No control group

• Little ability to infer cause and effect

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Characteristics
◦ Random assignment
◦ Control group

Three typical designs
◦ Pretest post-test control group design
◦ Post-test only control group design
◦ Solomon four-group design

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

Random Assignment of Pretest No Treatment Post-test
Participants to Control Group
Random Assignment of Pretest Treatment Post-test
Participants to Experimental or
Treatment Group

Groups should be equivalent at beginning

SO

Observed differences must result from
treatment

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

Random Assignment of Participants to No Treatment Post-test
Control Group
Random Assignment of Participants to Treatment Post-test
Experimental or Treatment Group

Use when
◦ Sample is sufficient (≥ 30/group)
◦ Pre-testing is not possible

Disadvantages
◦ If randomization is not effective, groups may not be equivalent
◦ Cannot use pretest to assign to groups

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

Random Assignment to Pretest Treatment Post-test
Experimental or Treatment Group
Random Assignment to Control Pretest No Treatment Post-test
Group 1
Random Assignment to Control No Pretest Treatment Post-test
Group 2
Random Assignment to Control No Pretest No Treatment Post-test
Group 3

Many different comparisons are possible

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

Internal validity—The accuracy in concluding
that the outcome of an experiment is due to
the independent variable

External validity—The extent to which the
results of an experiment can be generalized

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


History—Uncontrolled
History outside influences on
participants during an experiment

Maturation—Changes
Maturation due to natural development

Selection—Biased
Selection selection of participants

Testing—Sensitization
Testing due to pretest

Instrumentation—Biases
Instrumentation due to testing procedures

Regression—The
Regression tendency for extreme scorers to
move toward more typical performance when
retested

Mortality—Changes
Mortality in group composition because
some participants have left the study

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Multiple treatment interference—Several
interference
treatments occur simultaneously

Reactive arrangements (Hawthorne effect)—
effect)
Knowledge about the experiment

Experimenter effects—Effects
effects due to the
presence of the experimenter

Pretest sensitization—Sensitization
sensitization due to
pretest

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Increasing internal validity
◦ Randomly select participants
◦ Randomly assign to groups
◦ Use a control group

Increasing external validity
◦ Careful adherence to good experimental
practices!

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Too much control reduces ability to generalize

Too little control reduces ability to make causal
statements

Attempt to find a good balance

External
Internal Validity
Validity

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.

Variables that are not accounted for can
confound an experiment

Controlling extraneous variables
◦ Ignore them if they are unrelated to the dependent
variable
◦ Randomizing helps ensure that groups are
equivalent

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Ensures that subjects in each group
◦ Are equivalent on some characteristic
◦ Should be related to the dependent measure

Disadvantages
◦ Expensive and time-consuming
◦ May not be possible
◦ Matching on some variables establishes equivalence
on others

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Select sample from a population whose
members are alike on critical factors

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


A statistical tool that equalizes any initial
differences that might exist:
◦ Between groups
◦ On a covariate (a potential matched variable)

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Explain why experimental designs are so
important?

Identify and summarize examples of pre-
experimental and true experimental
designs?

Discuss the major difference between pre-
experimental and true experimental
designs and how this impacts the ability to
determine causality?

Discuss the importance of randomization
to the experimental design?

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.


Distinguish between internal and external
validity in research design?

List and provide examples of the threats to
internal validity?

List and explain the threats to external
validity?

Discuss how researchers control for
extraneous variables?

© 2011 Pearson Prentice Hall, Salkind.