Lesson 2: Experimental Research

● Different methods involve when conducting experiment

● To come up with a more reliable, error free result, use blinded method.

Uniqueness of Experimental Research

1. Only type of research that attempts to influence a particular variable.
2. Best type of research for testing hypotheses about cause and effect relationship.

Experimental Research always look for the following:

1. Independent variable (treatment)
2. Dependent variable (outcome)

Major Characteristics
1. Researchers can manipulate independent variables.
2. They decide the nature and the extent of the treatment.
3. After the treatment has been administered, researchers observe or measure the groups
receiving the treatments to see if they differ.
4. Experimental research enables researchers to go beyond descriptions and prediction, and
attempt to determine what caused the effects.

Essential Characteristics
1. Comparison of groups
● The experimental group receives a treatment of some sort while the control
group receives no treatment.
● Enables the researcher to determine whether the treatment has had an effect
or whether one treatment is more effective than the other.
2. Manipulation of Independent Variable
● The researcher deliberately and directly determines what forms the
independent variable will take and which group will get
which form.
3. Randomization
● Random assignment is similar but not identical to random selection.
● Random assignment means that every individual have equal chance to be
assigned to any of the experimental or the control groups
4. Three things occur with random assignment of subjects:
a. It takes place before experiment begins
b. Process of assigning the groups takes place
c. Groups should be equivalent

Control of Extraneous Variable

An extraneous variable is any variable not being investigated that has the potential to affect
the outcome of a research study. In other words, it is any factor not considered an
independent variable that can affect the dependent variables or controlled conditions.
For example, in a study of physical performance (independent variable), the effect of a
specific athletic shoe (dependent variable) may be tested. Extraneous variables in this
example might include:
✓ Demographics such as age and gender
✓ Testing environment
✓ Time of day of testing

Researcher in an experimental study have an opportunity to exercise far more control than in
most other forms of research. They determine the treatment, select the sample, assign
individual to groups, decide which group will get the treatment.
● It is very important for researchers conducting an experimental study to do their best
to control for – that is to eliminate or minimize the possible effect of the treatment.
● If the researcher are unsure whether another variable might be the cause of the
result observed in a study, they cannot be sure of the outcome.

How to minimize/eliminate Threats

● Randomization: If subjects can be randomly assigned to the various groups involved
in an experimental study, researchers can assume that the groups are equivalent.
This is the best way to ensure that the effects of one or more possible extraneous
variables have been controlled.
● Holding certain variables constant: The idea here is to eliminate the possible effects
of a variable by removing it from the study. For example, if a researcher suspects that
gender might influence the outcomes of a study, she could control for it by restricting
the subjects of the study to females and by excluding all males.
● Building the variable into the design: This solution involves building the variable(s)
into the study to assess their effects. It is the exact opposite of the previous idea.
Using the preceding example, the researcher would include both females and males
(as distinct groups) in the design of the study and then analyze the effects of both
gender and method on outcomes.
● Matching: Often pairs of subjects can be matched on certain variables of interest. If a
researcher felt that age, for example, might affect the outcome of a study, he might
endeavor to match students according to their ages and then assign one member of
each pair (randomly if possible) to each of the comparison groups.
● Using subjects as their own controls: When subjects are used as their own controls,
their performance under both (or all) treatments is compared. Thus, the same
students might be taught algebra units first by an inquiry method and later by a
lecture method. Another example is the assessment of an individual’s behavior
during a period of time before and after treatment is implemented to see whether
changes in behavior occur.
● Using analysis of covariance: Analysis of covariance can be used to equate groups
statistically on the basis of a pretest or other variables. The posttest scores of the
subjects in each group are then adjusted accordingly.

Group Designs in Experimental Research

1. Poor Experimental Design
● One Shot Case Study
In the one-shot case study design, a single group is exposed to a treatment or
event and a dependent variable is subsequently observed (measured) in
order to assess the effect of the treatment. A diagram of this design is as
follows:
 ● One Group Pretest PostTest Design
In the one-group pretest-posttest design, a single group is measured or
observed not only after being exposed to a treatment of some sort but also
before.

● Static Group Comparison Design

In the static group comparison design, two already existing, or intact, groups
are used. These are sometimes referred to as static groups, hence the
name for the design. This design is sometimes called a nonequivalent control
group design

● Static Group Pretest PostTest Design

The static-group pretest-posttest design differs from the static-group
comparison design only in that a pretest is given to both groups.

2. True Experimental Design

Random Assignment with Matcing
1. Mechanical matching is a process of pairing two persons whose scores on a particular
variable are similar. Two girls, for example, whose mathematics aptitude scores and test
anxiety scores are similar might be matched on those variables.
2. Statistical matching, on the other hand, does not necessitate a loss of subjects, nor does it
limit the number of matching variables. Each subject is given a “predicted” score on the
dependent variable, based on the correlation between the dependent variable and the
variable (or variables) on which the subjects are being matched. The difference between the
predicted and actual scores for each individual is then used to compare experimental and
control groups.

3. Quasi-Experimental Design
Quasi-experimental designs do not include the use of random assignment. Researchers who
employ these designs rely instead on other techniques to control (or at least reduce) threats
to internal validity.
● Matching Only Design - differs from random
assignment with matching only in the fact
that random assignment is not used. The
researcher still matches the subjects in the
experimental and control groups on certain
variables, but he or she has no assurance
that they are equivalent to others.
● Counter Balance Design - represent another technique for equating experimental and
comparison groups. In this design, each group is exposed to all treatments, however
many there are, but in a different order.

● Time Series Design - The typical pre- and post-test

designs examined up to now involve observations or
measurements taken immediately before and after
treatment. A time-series design, however, involves
repeated measurements or observations over a period
 of time both before and after treatment. It is really an elaboration of the one-group
pretest-posttest design.
4. Factorial Design
Factorial designs extend the number of relationships that may be examined in an
experimental study. They are essentially modifications of either the posttest-only control
group or pretest-posttest control group designs (with or without random assignment), which
permit the investigation of additional independent variables.
Another value of a factorial design is that it allows a researcher to study the interaction of an
independent variable with one or more other variables, sometimes called moderator
variables.
● Moderator variables may be either treatment variables or subject characteristic
variables.