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Experimental
Design
What is an experiment?
Some researchers did an experiment began in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. The second researcher completed and developed the first
researchers experiments and the other did the same continously. Until in
the 1980s, the experiments have grown in complexity and largely because
of computers and improved statistical procedures.
Random Assignment
1. Pretests
2. Covariates
3. Matching of participants
4. Homogeneous samples
5. Blocking variables.
1. Pretests and Posttests
Covariates are variables that the researcher controls for using statistics and
that relate to the dependent variable but that do not relate to the
independent variable. This test allows the researcher to assess accurately
the relationship between the treatment and the outcome (i.e., rate of
smoking) because of a reduction in the amount of error.
3. Matching of participants
5. Blocking Variable
A blocking variable is a variable the researcher controls before the
experiment starts by dividing (blocking) the participants into subgroups
(or categories) and analyzing the impact of each subgroup on the
outcome.
Manipulating Treatment Conditions
In experimental treatment, the researcher physically intervenes to alter the
conditions experienced by the experimental unit.
The procedure would be:
Identify a treatment variable
Identify the conditions (or levels) of the variable
Manipulate the treatment conditions
WHAT ARE KEY CHARACTERISTICS
OF EXPERIMENTS?
Example:
Threats to validity refer to specific reasons for why we can be wrong when we make an
inference in an experiment because of covariance, causation constructs, or whether the
causal relationship holds over variations in persons, setting, treatments, and outcomes.
Four types of validity
Threats to Threats to
internal external
validity validity
Threats to internal validity
Threats to internal validity are problems in drawing correct inferences about whether the
covariation (i.e., the variation in one variable contributes to the variation in the other
variable) between the presumed treatment variable and the outcome reflects a causal
relationship ( Shadish, Cook, & Campbell, 2002 ).
Categories
History, maturation,
regression, selection,
Participant mortatlity, interaction with
selection
Diffusion of treatments.
Compensatory equalization,
Treatment Compensatory rivalry,
Resentful demoralization
Threats to external validity are problems that threaten our ability to draw correct
inferences from the sample data to other persons, settings, treatment variables, and
measures.
According to Cook and Campbell (1979) , three threats
may affect this generalizability:
True experiments comprise the most rigorous and strong experimental designs
because of equating the groups through random assignment. The procedure for
conducting major forms of true experiments and quasi-experiments, viewing them
in terms of activities from the beginning of the experiment to the end. In true
experiments, the researcher randomly assigns participants to different conditions
of the experimental variable.
Quasi-experiments