Experimental Research

Design

Best research
methodology
to establish
cause-and-effect
relationship among
variables

Independent Variable

Experimental or
Treatment Variable

Dependent Variable

Criterion or Outcome
Variable

Essential Characteristics of
Experimental Research
A. Comparison of groups
2 groups (experimental & control grps)
experimental group receives treatment
control group does not receive treatment

Essential Characteristics of
Experimental Research
B. Manipulation of the independent variable
The independent variable may be
established as one form of the variable
versus another
Example: effectiveness of classroom
teaching with the help of blackboard/ ppt. /
new textbook.

Essential Characteristics of
Experimental Research
B. Manipulation of the independent variable
The independent variable may be
established as the presence versus
absence of a particular form
Example: effectiveness of classroom
teaching, when new textbook is used vs.
when it is not used.

Essential Characteristics of
Experimental Research
B. Manipulation of the independent variable
The independent variable may be
established as varying degrees of the same
form
Example: extreme use of new textbook vs.
rare use of new textbook.

Essential Characteristics of
Experimental Research
C. Randomization
Subjects are randomly assigned to
groups.
Random assignment:
- individual participants have the
chance of being assigned to any of the
two groups
- eliminates extraneous variables

Types of Experimental
Designs
1. Pre experimental
2. True Experimental
3. Quasi Experimental
4. Statistical

The One-Shot Case Study

A single group is exposed to treatment and a
dependent variable is observed (measured) to
assess the effect of the treatment.
Eg. To measure the effectiveness of an
advertisement for a departmental store, Shoppers
Stop.
Unaided Recall : Do u recall seeing an ad. For a
departmental store last night
Aided Recall : Do u recall seeing Shoppers Stop
advertisement last night

The One-Shot Case Study Design

Treatment

Observation
(Dependent Variable)

Weakness: Researcher has no way of knowing if the results obtained

at O are due to treatment X

The One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design

A single group is measured or observed
before and after the treatment.
Example: suppose you want to assess the
effects of weekly counseling sessions on
the attitudes of identified bullies in school.

The One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design

O1

O2

Observation
(Pretest)

Treatment

Observation
(Posttest)

The treatment effect is computed as O2-O1

Weakness: Uncontrolled extraneous variableshence internal validity is questionable. (Example:
maturation, history, mortality etc.)

The Static-Group Comparison Design

Two existing intact (static) groups are used
Also called nonequivalent control group
design
2 groups:
1.Experimental group(EG)
2.Control group(CG)

The Static-Group Comparison Design

EG:

X
O1

CG:
O2

X - treatment
Blank space - control (with no treatment or with a different treatment)
O - observed

Weakness: Uncontrolled-for threats to internal validity (Vulnerable to

maturity and location)
Example: To test the effect of a new textbook in increasing interest of students
in class. Find two Static groups, assign the new textbook to one class and
have the other class use the regular textbook, then measure the degree of
interest in both classes at the same time.

True Experimental
Designs
The Randomized Pretest-posttest
Control Group Design
Subjects are randomly assigned to
experimental and control groups.

True Experimental
Designs
The Randomized Pretest-Posttest Control
Group Design
Involves two groups formed by random
assignment
Both groups are pretested and posttested
Measurements or observations are collected at
the same time for both groups

Example
The Randomized Posttest-Only Control Group Design
EG: R
50 teachers
100
randomly
selected
teachers

O1
X
Pretest:
Dance for
Peace
Faculty
TrainingSelfAwareness Worksho
p
Questionna
ire

O2
Posttest:
Faculty SelfAwareness
Questionnaire

O3
C
O4
CG: R
Pretest:
No
Posttest:
training
50 teachers
Faculty
Faculty SelfSelfAwareness
Awareness
Questionnaire
Questionna
ire
The Treatment Effect is measured by (O2-O1)-(O4-O3)

Quasi-Experimental
Designs
Time-Series Designs
Involve repeated observations or measuremetns
over a period of time both before and after
treatment.

Basic Time-Series Design

0 O O O O X O O7 O O O10
1 2 3 4 5
6
8 9

Quasi-Experimental Designs:
Time Series Design
01 02 03 04 05

X 06 07 08 09 010

There is no randomization of test units to treatments.

The timing of treatment presentation, as well as which test units are
exposed to the treatment, may not be within the researcher's control.

Multiple Time Series

Design
EG : 01 02 03 04 05

X 06 07 08 09 010

CG : 01 02 03 04 05

06 07 08 09 010

If the control group is carefully selected, this design can be an improvement

over the simple time series experiment.
Can test the treatment effect twice: against the pretreatment measurements in
the experimental group and against the control group.

Statistical Designs
Statistical designs consist of a series of basic
experiments that allow for statistical control and
analysis of external variables and offer the following
advantages:
The effects of more than one independent
variable can be measured.
Specific extraneous variables can be statistically
controlled.
Economical designs can be formulated when
each test unit is measured more than once.
The most common statistical designs are the
randomized block design, the Latin square design,
and the factorial design.

Randomized Block Design

Is useful when there is only one major
external variable, such as store size, that
might influence the dependent variable.
The test units are blocked, or grouped, on
the basis of the external variable.
By blocking, the researcher ensures that
the various experimental and control
groups are matched closely on the external
variable.

Randomized Block Design

Treatment Groups
Commercial Commercial

Block
Store
Commercial
Number Patronage

1
2
3
4

A
A
A
A

B
B
B
B

C
C
C
C

Heavy
Medium
Low
None

Latin Square Design

Allows the researcher to statistically control two noninteracting external
variables as well as to manipulate the independent variable.
Each external or blocking variable is divided into an equal number of
blocks, or levels.
The independent variable is also divided into the same number of levels.
A Latin square is conceptualized as a table, with the rows and columns
representing the blocks in the two external variables.
The levels of the independent variable are assigned to the cells in the
table.
The assignment rule is that each level of the independent variable should
appear only once in each row and each column, as shown in Table 7.5.

Latin Square Design

Store Patronage
Heavy
Medium
Low and none

High
B
C
A

Interest in the Store

Medium
Low
A
B
C

C
A
B

Factorial Designs

Is used to measure the effects of two or more

independent variables at various levels.

A factorial design may also be conceptualized

as a table.

In a two-factor design, each level of one

variable represents a row and each level of
another variable represents a column.

Example
Factorial Design (2 x 2 factorial design)

X
Y1
Y2

Example
Factorial Design (2 x 2 factorial design)
X
C
Learnin Lecture
g by
Doing
Y1
(Male)
Y2
(Female)

Factorial Design
Amount of Humor
Amount of Store
Information
Low

No
Humor
A

Medium
Humor
B

High
Humor
C

Medium

High

Laboratory Versus Field

Experiments
Factor

Laboratory

Field

Environment
Control
Reactive Error
Low
Demand Artifacts
Internal Validity
External Validity
Time
Number of Units
Ease of Implementation
Cost
High

Artificial
High

Realistic
Low
High

High
High
Low
Short
Small
High

Low
Low
High
Long
Large
Low
Low

Limitations of
Experimentation

Experiments can be time consuming, particularly if the

researcher is interested in measuring the long-term effects.

Experiments are often expensive. The requirements of

experimental group, control group, and multiple
measurements significantly add to the cost of research.

Experiments can be difficult to administer. It may be

impossible to control for the effects of the extraneous
variables, particularly in a field environment.

Competitors may deliberately contaminate the results of

a field experiment.