Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
During the late 19th and throughout the 20th collectionwith the intent of generalizing from a
century, strategies of inquiry associated with sample to a population (Fowler, 2008).
quantitative research were those that invoked the
Experimental research seeks to determine if a
postpositivist worldview and that originated mainly in
specific treatment influences an outcome. The
psychology. These include true experiments and the
researcher assesses this by providing a specific
less rigorous experiments called quasiexperiments
treatment to one group and withholding it from another
(see, an original, early treatise on this, Campbell &
and then determining how both groups scored on an
Stanley, 1963). An additional experimental design is
outcome. Experiments include true experiments, with
applied behavioral analysis or single-subject
the random assignment of subjects to treatment
experiments in which an experimental treatment is
conditions, and quasi-experiments that use
administered over time to a single individual or a small
nonrandomized assignments (Keppel, 1991). Included
number of individuals (Cooper, Heron, & Heward,
within quasi-experiments are singlesubject designs.
2007; Neuman & McCormick, 1995).
Reference: Cresswell, John Research Design:
One type of nonexperimental quantitative
Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
research is causal-comparative research in which the
Approaches
investigator compares two or more groups in terms of
a cause (or independent variable) that has already QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
happened. Another nonexperimental form of research
is the correlational design in which investigators use Quasi-experimental research may look very much like
the correlational statistic to describe and measure the true experimental research in that it does involve the
degree or association (or relationship) between two or manipulation of an independent variable.
more variables or sets of scores (Creswell, 2012). However, it is not the same as true experimental
These designs have been elaborated into more complex research because quasi-experimental research studies
relationships among variables found in techniques of lack one or both of the essential properties
structural equation modeling, hierarchical linear of randomisation and a control group.
modeling, and logistic regression. More recently,
quantitative strategies have involved complex The major drawback with quasi-
experiments with many variables and treatments (e.g., experimental research is that, compared to
factorial designs and repeated measure designs). They experimental research, it has a weakness in that is not
have also included elaborate structural equation possible to deliver 'cause and effect' results.
models that incorporate causal paths and the In other words, we cannot infer from quasi-
identification of the collective strength of multiple experimental research that, for example, doing one
variables. thing causes a particular phenomenon (e.g. smoking
cigarettes causes cancer).
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH