Deck 10: The Nonexperimental and Quasi-Experimental Strategies: Nonequivalent Group, Prepost, and Developmental Designs

Question 1

Which research design is being used by a researcher comparing job satisfaction scores for adults with college degrees versus scores for adults without college degrees?

A) Differential research design
B) Pretest-only nonequivalent control group design
C) Pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design
D) Time-series design

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In nonexperimental and quasi-experimental studies, different groups or conditions are defined in terms of ____.

A) independent variables
B) dependent variables
C) preexisting participant variables or time
D) treatment conditions

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A problem with nonequivalent group designs is that any differences found could be explained by differences in ____.

A) participant characteristics
B) history
C) fatigue
D) practice

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Although nonexperiments resemble true experiments, they contain ____ and cannot ____.

A) threats to internal validity; generalize to other situations
B) threats to external validity; generalize to other situations
C) threats to internal validity; establish causal relationships
D) threats to external validity; establish causal relationships

Question 5

A researcher comparing depression scores before and after treatment in one group of clients, is using a(n) ____.

A) Pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design
B) differential research design
C) Pre-post design
D) posttest-only nonequivalent control group design

Question 6

A researcher introduces a new phonics program in one preschool and uses a neighboring preschool as a no-treatment control group. After the program is in place for one academic year, the researcher intends to evaluate the reading skills of the students in both preschools and then compare their scores. This research cannot be classified as a true experiment because ____.

A) the treatment is administered to only one group
B) there is no pretest to determine mathematics ability before the program
C) the researcher does not control the assignment of participants to groups
D) it is not conducted in a laboratory

Question 7

A researcher compares preexisting groups of individuals in which type of study?

A) Between-subjects experiment
B) Within-subjects experiment
C) Nonequivalent group design
D) Pre-post design

Question 8

A researcher introduces a new exercise program in the psychiatric ward of one hospital and uses the psychiatric ward at another hospital as a no-treatment control group. Before the program begins, the depressed patients in both hospitals are evaluated for their level of depression. After the program is in place for six months, the patients are evaluated again and the researcher compares the before and after scores for the two groups. This research study is classified as ____.

A) correlational
B) experimental
C) quasi-experimental
D) nonexperimental

Question 9

Which threat to internal validity occurs in any study with nonequivalent groups and prevents researchers from making conclusive claims about causality?

A) Order effects
B) Instrumentation effects
C) Regression toward the mean
D) Individual differences

Question 10

Pre-post designs are threatened by ____.

A) factors related to the passage of time
B) factors related to differences between groups
C) individual differences
D) differential attrition

Question 11

Which study illustrates a nonexperimental study?

A) A study comparing self-esteem scores for children with a learning disability versus scores for children without a learning disability
B) A study comparing depression scores for one group that is assigned to receive a therapy versus another group that is assigned not to receive a therapy
C) A study comparing performance in a room where the walls have been painted yellow versus performance in a room painted blue
D) A study comparing cognitive functioning scores for one group of Alzheimer's patients who are assigned to receive memory therapy versus another group that is assigned not to receive therapy

Question 12

Differential history effects are a threat to internal validity for which of the following designs?

A) Differential research design
B) One-group Pretest-posttest design
C) Pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design
D) Longitudinal design

Question 13

What is one of the primary advantages of a Pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design, in comparison to other nonequivalent group designs?

A) Posttest scores can help reduce threats from history effects.
B) Posttest scores can eliminate threats from history effects.
C) Pretest scores can help reduce the threat to internal validity that comes from individual differences.
D) Pretest scores can eliminate the threat to internal validity that comes from individual differences.

Question 14

A differential research design is an example of a ____.

A) nonequivalent group design
B) experimental group design
C) time-series design
D) Pretest-posttest design

Question 15

The concept of nonequivalent groups means ____.

A) the researcher cannot control which people go into each group and cannot ensure that the groups are equivalent
B) the two groups have completely different characteristics
C) the researcher has randomly assigned people to groups so there is no guarantee that the groups are equal
D) the number of participants is different from one group to another

Question 16

Which threat to internal validity is of particular concern to Pre-post designs?

A) Diffusion
B) Individual differences
C) Maturation
D) Differential attrition

Question 17

Which statement accurately describes what is evaluated by differential research?

A) Differences between treatment conditions using the same group of participants in all treatments
B) Differences between treatment conditions using a separate group of participants for each treatment
C) Differences in scores before versus after a treatment
D) Differences in scores between preexisting groups of participants

Question 18

The researcher is least likely to randomly assign individuals to treatment groups in which type of study?

A) Between-subjects experiment
B) Within-subjects experiment
C) Nonequivalent group design
D) Pre-post design

Question 19

Last fall, a state college introduced a one-week study skills course for new freshmen students. At the end of the academic year, the college compared the grades and dropout rate for their freshmen with the corresponding measurements for freshmen at a neighboring state college. This study is an example of a ____.

A) posttest-only nonequivalent control group design
B) Pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design
C) differential research design
D) time-series design

Question 20

The goal of the Pre-post design is to examine the effects of treatment by measuring ____.

A) two groups before and after a treatment
B) two groups after a treatment
C) one group after a treatment
D) one group before and after a treatment

Question 21

The Pre-post designs are similar to within-subjects designs; however, in a Pre-post design, it is impossible to ____.

A) randomly assign participants
B) counterbalance order of treatments
C) control for differential effects
D) generalize the results

Question 22

A Pretest-posttest design (OXO) is considered to be a(n) ____.

A) experiment
B) nonexperimental design
C) nonequivalent groups quasi-experimental design
D) time series quasi-experimental design

Question 23

In a differential research design, the participant characteristic that is used to define the groups is called a(n) ____ variable.

A) independent
B) dependent
C) quasi-independent
D) quasi-dependent

Question 24

Six months after a devastating earthquake, a researcher goes back and examines archival data (sales records, etc.) that indicate how prepared residents in the area were for a disaster before the earthquake hit unexpectedly. The researcher then gathers data on how prepared residents are for a disaster six months later and compares the scores. This study is an example of a(n) ____.

A) time-series
B) interrupted time-series
C) longitudinal
D) cross-sectional

Question 25

A cross-sectional developmental design is an example of the general category of ____ designs.

A) nonequivalent group
B) Pretest-posttest
C) time-series
D) interrupted time-series

Question 26

What is the appropriate statistical analysis for comparing non-numerical data for a differential design comparing samples representing two populations?

A) Independent-measures t -test
B) Repeated-measures t -test
C) Independent-measures analysis of variance
D) Chi-square test for independence

Question 27

A researcher assesses the reading level of third-graders on the first of every month for three months prior to administering a new reading program and for three months following the program. This study is an example of a(n) ____.

A) time-series design
B) interrupted time-series design
C) cross-sectional design
D) longitudinal design

Question 28

A researcher is examining cooperation between peers by observing children at six years, eight years, and ten years old. If the researcher uses a cross-sectional design and obtains 20 scores for each age, how many children participated in the entire study?

A) 20
B) 40
C) 60
D) 120

Question 29

A researcher studies language development by selecting a sample of two-year-old children and giving them a language skill test. Each year for the next two years, the children are brought back and tested again. The researcher plans to compare the children's scores at age two, age three, and age four. This study is an example of a(n) ____.

A) time-series design
B) interrupted time-series design
C) cross-sectional developmental design
D) longitudinal developmental design

Question 30

Which of these designs comes closest to being a true experiment?

A) A time-series design
B) A Pretest-posttest design
C) A differential design
D) A pretest-only nonequivalent control group design

Question 31

A time-series design is a(n) ____.

A) nonexperimental study
B) quasi-experimental study
C) experiment
D) correlational study

Question 32

A researcher is comparing the optimism scores of people who are religious with people who are not religious. In this study, whether or not a person is religious is the _____ variable and level of optimism is the _____ variable.

A) independent; dependent
B) dependent; quasi-independent
C) quasi-independent; dependent
D) quasi-dependent; dependent

Question 33

What is one difference between a time-series design and an interrupted time-series design?

A) Time series examines the effect of a treatment and interrupted time series examines the effect of an outside event.
B) Time series examines the effect of an outside event and interrupted time series examines the effect of a treatment.
C) Time series involves several observations before and after the treatment/event and interrupted time series has only one observation before and after.
D) Time series involves only one observation before and after the treatment/event and interrupted time series has several observations before and after.

Question 34

A researcher measures nicotine cravings in participants each day for one week before and for one week after the researcher begins a program designed to help patients quit smoking. This is an example of a(n) ____ design.

A) time-series
B) interrupted time-series
C) equivalent time-samples
D) Pretest-posttest design

Question 35

A problem with a longitudinal design is that the results may be distorted by ____.

A) cohort effects
B) participant attrition
C) differential history effects
D) assignment bias

Question 36

A research study that evaluates changes in behavior related to age over time by examining one group of participants who are all roughly the same age is called a(n) ____.

A) time-series design
B) interrupted time-series design
C) cross-sectional developmental design
D) longitudinal developmental design

Question 37

A research study that evaluates changes in behavior related to age by examining different groups of individuals, with each group representing a different age, is called a(n) ____.

A) time-series design
B) interrupted time-series design
C) cross-sectional developmental design
D) longitudinal developmental design

Question 38

A researcher studies language development by selecting a sample of two-year-old children, a sample of three-year-old children, and a sample of four-year-old children. Each child's language skill is measured and the researcher plans to compare the scores for the three groups. This study is an example of a(n) ____.

A) time-series design
B) interrupted time-series design
C) cross-sectional developmental design
D) longitudinal developmental design

Question 39

A series of observations before treatment allows a researcher to determine whether ____.

A) the treatment has a temporary effect
B) the treatment has a permanent effect
C) scores are influenced by assignment bias
D) scores are influenced by some factors unrelated to the treatment

Question 40

Last year, the state increased the speed limit on one section of highway from 55 to 65 mph. To evaluate the effect of the change, a researcher gathered accident reports for six months before the change and for six months after the change. This is an example of a(n) ____.

A) time-series design
B) pretest-posttest design
C) cross-sectional design
D) longitudinal design

Question 41

A cross-sectional design comparing three different ages would require three separate groups of participants.

Question 42

In a cross-sectional developmental study, age would be the quasi-independent variable.

Question 43

The internal validity of the Pre-post designs is threatened by threats related to time.

Question 44

The Pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design reduces the threat of individual differences and limits time-related threats and therefore is a quasi-experimental design.

Question 45

A Pretest-posttest study is an example of a nonequivalent groups design.

Question 46

A research study that compared married men, divorced men, and single adult men is an example of the differential research design.

Question 47

The changes that occur as a person ages from child to adult to elderly are called cohort effects.

Question 48

A differential research design comes closer to being a true experiment that other similar designs.

Question 49

The posttest-only nonequivalent control group design comes close to being a true experiment and is therefore is a quasi-experimental design.

Question 50

Differential research is an example of the quasi-experimental research strategy.

Question 51

Nonexperimental studies always contain a threat to internal validity, which means that these studies cannot establish unambiguous cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 52

The nonexperimental research strategy makes little to no effort to control threats to internal validity.

Question 53

Quasi-experimental studies attempt to minimize threats to validity but nonexperimental studies make little or no attempt.

Question 54

History effects occur in nonequivalent group designs because the groups probably have different participant characteristics.

Question 55

One group is measured before and after a treatment in a typical Pre-post study.

Question 56

In a Pretest-posttest design, a researcher makes multiple observations before and after the introduction of a treatment.

Question 57

Nonexperimental research typically involves looking at differences between preexisting groups or at changes that occur over time.

Question 58

If a study generates non-numerical data, a chi-square test for independence should be used for analysis.

Question 59

A researcher in Mississippi measured visits to the school counselor for a group of students for three weeks in the spring. In the fall, immediately after a major hurricane, the researcher again measured the students' counselor visits to see if there had been any change. This researcher is using an interrupted time-series design.

Question 60

The time-series design is an example of the quasi-experimental research strategy.

Question 61

Explain the benefits of adding a pretest to a nonequivalent control group design.

Question 62

Distinguish nonexperimental designs from quasi-experimental designs.

Question 63

Describe how the relationship between memory ability and age could be examined using a cross-sectional design. How would the relationship be examined with a longitudinal design?

Question 64

Describe the similarities and differences between time-series and interrupted time-series designs.

Question 65

Describe the strengths and weaknesses of cross-sectional and longitudinal research.

Question 66

Describe the similarities and differences between experiments and nonexperiments or quasi-experiments.

Question 67

Describe the fundamental flaw that prevents a Pre-post design from being a true experiment. (That is, why can't these designs produce an unambiguous cause-and-effect explanation?) Explain how the series of observations before the treatment help reduce this problem.