Elscores 8/18/2024 6:16:34 PM
PSYC 302 Final Exam Questions and Correct Answer
What are Quasi-experimental designs?
~: are research studies in which participants are selected for *different* conditions from pre-
existing groups and self-selection into groups
Q designs are studies in which the IV are?
~: selected from pre-existing values and not created through manipulation by the researcher
How are preexisting groups formed?
~: by self-selected groups
ex. smokers vs nonsmokers
What is a central issue of quasi-experimental designs?
~: research validity
What is the basic difference between true and quasi-experimental designs?
~: random assignment
A quasi-experimental design DOES NOT permit the researcher to control what?
~: the assignment of participants to conditions or groups
How are Quasi-experimental designs characterized?
~: *lower levels of control* over the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and HOW of the study
, Elscores 8/18/2024 6:16:34 PM
What is a nonequivalent control groups design?
~: a research design that has both experimental and control groups but the participants are NOT
randomly assigned to these groups
- most common type of Q design
What is the problem with nonequivalent control group designs?
~: the problem is knowing how to compare the results between groups when they are not
equivalent to begin with
- interpretability depends on whether the pattern of results obtained can be accounted for by
possible differences between the groups or by something else in the study
-- ceiling effects
-- floor effects
What is a ceiling effect?
~: is the level at which an independent variable no longer has an effect on a dependent variable,
or the level above which variance in an independent variable is no longer measured or estimated
- example: 2 profs teaching the same class, students in one class constantly was in the 98% on
exams > while the other class started at 20% then moved up to 98%. One would not be able
to deem the first prof as better because their teaching methods may have had nothing to do
with the student's high grades (could be that they're just smart and would get those high
grades no matter who the prof was)
, Elscores 8/18/2024 6:16:34 PM
What is a floor effect?
~: (aka, Basement Effect) is when measurements of the dependent variable result in very low
scores on the measurement scale.
How can we further enhance or improve the interpret-ability of nonequivalent control group
designs?
~: 1. matching [limitation: only controls for KNOWN factors]
2. identifying and building extraneous variables into the design or study as moderator
variables
3. pretesting—empirically documenting the degree of nonequivalence
4. if nonequivalent, as per pretest data, then can use a number of statistical control procedures
(as
previously discussed) to covary out or control for preexisting differences
What are the examples of nonequivalent control group designs?
~: *delayed control group designs*: design in which the testing of one group is deferred
- i.e., the two groups are tested sequentially with an appreciable time interval between them]
- ex. testing impact of a natural disaster or London bombings (2005)
*mixed factorial designs*: design in which there is one between-subjects variable and one
within-subjects variable
- at least one factor has to be naturally occurring or not RA (*between-subjects variable =
preexisting/naturally occurring*)
, Elscores 8/18/2024 6:16:34 PM
What are the designs without control groups?
~: *Interrupted Time-Series Designs*: these designs allow the same group to be compared over
time by considering the trend of the data before and after the treatment
- graph of uninsured rate diving in 2013 pg. 5
*Multiple Time-Series Design*: A variation of interrupted time-series design, which is really
NOT a design without a control group.
- used as a control for interrupted time-series {control and experimental group are included to
rule out HISTORY as a rival hypothesis}
- example: life satisfaction and marriage
*Repeated Treatment Design*: this research design allows the same group to be compared by
measuring the participants' responses before and after repeated treatments
- ex. administering blood pressure meds, line on graph should go up and down in a zig-zag
Can we make causal inferences based on quasi-experimental designs?
~: no, because of absence of RA
- groups are nonequivalent which means there will always be 2 explanations for differences:
1. treatment
2. nonequivalency
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