Comprehension Questions Chapter 6

Answer the following questions and explain or do what is required

1. What makes experimental research different from non-experimental research?

2. Explain the difference between true-experimental, quasi-experimental, pre-experimental,
and factorial designs.
3. What is meant with threats to experimental validity?
4. Explain the following different threats to experimental validity
a. History
b. Maturation
c. Testing
d. Instrumentation
e. Statistical regression
f. Experimental mortality
g. Selection-maturation interaction
h. Experimental treatment diffusion
i. Compensatory rivalry by the control group
j. Resentful demoralization of the control group
5. Explain why ex-post facto does not belong to experimental research
6. For an experiment involving two groups of students, one taught listening comprehension
in language lab and the other one in conventional classroom, show
a. The assumption,
b. The research problems,
c. The research objective
d. The theoretical hypothesis

ANSWER

1. Experimental research is the type of research that uses a scientific approach towards
manipulating one or more control variables and measuring their defect on the dependent
variables, while non-experimental research is the type of research that does not involve
the manipulation of control variables.
2. True experimental :
The reseach has acces to random selection of the samples and random assignment of the
samples into experimental and control groups to ensure the equivalence of groups.
Examples procedure for pre-test ,pottest control
Quasi Experimental :
Procedure in Quasi experimental research involves fewer steps than the true
experimental search.and the weakness of quasiexperimental research is in its
experimental validity.
Pre- Experimental :
 An experimental research is conducted without a control group. The group is given a pre
test before the experimental treatment.another name for pre experimental design is one
group pre test-Posttest design and the pre experimental can be done to investigate
The weakness of pre experimental research is the lack of a comparative group to control
for interfering variables. That might contaminate the results of the research.
Factorial Designs :
A factorial design allows the effect of several factors and even interactions between them
to be determined with the same number of trials as are necessary to determine any one of
the effects by itself with the same degree of accuracy.
3. What are threats to internal validity? There are eight threats to internal validity: history,
maturation, instrumentation, testing, selection bias, regression to the mean, social
interaction and attrition.
4. a. History is the different motivation and attitude are resulted from the process of the
implementation of the experimental treatment.
b. Maturation interferences the results of educational experiments if it happens that
the biological as well psychological development of the student in the experimental group
which may affect student’s cognitive ability in learning.
c. Testing is when the experiment using pretest and post test
d. Instrumentation. This experimental research involving observational judgement to
rate the performance of the subject between pre-treatment and post-treatment.
e. Statistical regression happens because usually students with extremely high scores
or extremely low scores tent to have a change their post test scores toward the mean.
f. Experimental mortality. This threat happens because some members of the sample
withdraw from the experimental program for whatever reason.
g. Selection maturation interaction happens if the experimental treatment and the
control treatment are conducted at different school which have different admission
policy.
h. Experimental treatment diffusion. If some members of the control group borrow
and use the instructional materials which are supposed to be used only by the members of
the experimental group and the similar example, then the treatment diffusion occurs.
i. Compensatory rivalry by the control group. When the members of the control
group perceive that they are in competition with the members of the experimental group,
they may get highly motivated to win the competition.
j. Resentful demoralization of the control group. If there is a difference in the
posttest average scores between the experimental group and the control group, then the
difference is not merely caused by the different treatment.
5. An ex post facto research design is a method in which groups with qualities that already
exist are compared on some dependent variable. Although differing groups are analyzed
and compared in regards to independent and dependent variables it is not a true
experiment because it lacks random assignment.
6. a. The achievement of students taught listening comprehension in language lab is
different from those students taught in conventional classroom.
b. Do students taught listening comprehension in a language lab achieve better than
those students taught in a conventional classroom?
c. The objective of this research to taught listening comprehension in language lab
and in conventional classroom
d. Students in taught listening comprehension in lab is better than taught listening
comprehension in conventional classroom