Quasi Experimental Design 1

QUASI EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Introduction

The Quasi-experimental research strategy is like an experiment, typically involves a

comparison of groups or conditions. However, it uses a non-manipulated variable to define
groups or conditions being compared such as age, gender or time (before vs. after treatment), the
variable that is used to differentiate the groups of participants or the groups of scores being
compared is called the quasi-independent variable (e.g. age). The variable that is measured to
obtain a score for each individual is called the dependent variable (e.g. IQ score).

Types of Quasi-Experimental Designs

There are several types of quasi-experimental designs ranging from the simple to the complex,
each having different strengths, weaknesses and applications. These designs include:

Nonequivalent Group Designs

• The Differential Research Design (Non-experimental)

• Post-Test Only Nonequivalent Control Group Design (Non-experimental)

• Pretest-Posttest Nonequivalent Control Group Design (Quasi-Experimental)

Time-Series Designs

• One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design (Non-experimental)

• Time Series And Interrupted Time-Series Designs (Quasi-Experimental)

• Equivalent Time-Sample Design (Quasi-Experimental)

Nonequivalent Group Designs

Nonequivalent group design is a research study in which the different groups of

participants are formed under circumstances that do not permit the researcher to control the
assignment of individuals to groups because those groups are pre-existing; the groups of
participants are therefore considered nonequivalent e.g. a researcher wants to evaluate a teen
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pregnancy prevention program by comparing the pregnancy rates in a high school where the
program is used with pregnancy rates in a high school that does not use the program.

Nonequivalent group design has a built-in threat to internal validity that precludes an
unambiguous cause-and-effect explanation, i.e. assignment bias. The three examples of
nonequivalent group designs are:

• the differential research design (nonexperimental)

• the posttest-only nonequivalent control group design (nonexperimental)

• the pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design (quasi-experimental)

The Differential Research Design (Nonexperimental)

It simply compares pre-existing groups and uses a participant characteristic such as gender,
race, or personality to automatically assign participants to groups. There is no random
assignment of participants to groups. The dependent variable is then measured for each
participant to obtain a set of scores within each group. The goal of the study is to determine
whether the scores for one group are consistently different from scores in another group e.g.
mother’s and father’s involvement in the peer relationships of their adolescent children. In
differential research, participant differences in one variable are used to create separate groups,
and measurements of the second variable are made within each group. A correlational study
treats all the participants as a single group and simply measures the two variables for each
individual.

Post-Test Only Nonequivalent Control Group Design (Nonexperimental)

It compares two nonequivalent groups of participants. One group is observed (measured)

after receiving a treatment, and the other group is measured at the same time but receives no
treatment. It does not protect against assignment bias e.g. the teen pregnancy program. This
design can be represented schematically as follows:

X O (treatment group)
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O (nonequivalent control group)

O = observation, X = treatment

Pretest-Posttest Nonequivalent Control Group Design (Quasi-Experimental)

It compares two nonequivalent groups. One group is measured twice – once before a
treatment and once after the treatment. Problem of assignment bias even though it is reduced by
pre and post measurement. Potential problems with differential history effects, differential
instrumentation, differential testing effects, differential maturation and differential regression the
other group is measured at the same two times but does not receive any treatment. This design
can be represented schematically as follows:

O X O (treatment group)

O O (nonequivalent control group)

Threats to a Pretest-Posttest Nonequivalent Control Group Design

1. History effects: When an event occurs at the same time as treatment and changes
participants’ behavior, this event becomes an alternative explanation for the changes in
participants’ behavior (rather than treatment); thus, participants’ “history” includes events
other than treatment. In pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design, the threat
from history effects is called differential history effects that differ from one group to
another.

2. Instrumentation: Instruments used to measure participants’ performance may change

over time (e.g., observers may become bored or tired); thus, changes in participants’
performance may not be due to treatment but to changes in the instruments used to
measure performance. In pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design, the threat
from instrumentation is called differential instrumentation that differs from one group
to another.

3. Practice effects and fatigue: When the observation of participants involves some form of
testing, it is possible that the testing experience during the first observation will change
the participants and affect their scores during the second observation. Common examples
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are practice (progressive improvement in performance) and fatigue effects (progressive

decline in performance). In pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design, the threat
from practice and fatigue is called differential practice/fatigue that differs from one
group to another.

4. Maturation: Participants naturally change over time; these maturational changes, not
treatment, may explain any changes in participants during the experiment. In pretest-
posttest nonequivalent control group design, the threat from maturation is called
differential maturation that differs from one group to another.

5. Regression toward the mean: Participants sometimes perform very well or very poorly
on a measure because of chance factors (e.g., luck). These chance factors are not likely to
be present in a second testing, so their scores will not be so extreme — the scores
“regress to the mean.” These regression effects, not the effect of treatment, may account
for changes in participants’ performance over time. In pretest-posttest nonequivalent
control group design, the threat from regression is called differential regression that
differs from one group to another.

Time-Series Designs

In time series designs, several assessments (or measurements) are obtained

from the treatment group as well as from the control group. This occurs prior to and
after the application of the treatment. The series of observations before and after
can provide rich information about students' growth. Because measures at several
points in time prior and subsequent to the program are likely to provide a more
reliable picture of achievement, the time series design is sensitive to trends in
performance. Thus, this design, especially if a comparison group of similar students
is used, provides a strong picture of the outcomes of interest. Nevertheless,
although to a lesser degree, limitations and problems of the nonequivalent group,
pretest-posttest design still apply to this design.

One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design (Nonexperimental)

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Each individual in a group is measured once before and once after a treatment. It does not
control for possible extraneous variables possibly causing change over time. This design can be
represented schematically as follows:

O X O

e.g. evaluating the effectiveness of a new political TV commercial.

Time Series and Interrupted Time-Series Designs (Quasi-Experimental)

A series of observations is taken for each participant before a treatment and a series of
observations is taken after the treatment. It eliminates many problems with the pretest-posttest
design, outside events are a confound only if they occur simultaneously with the treatment. This
design can be represented schematically as follows:

O O O X O O O

Time series design – treatment administered by the researcher e.g. anger management
program for students.

Interrupted time-series design – event or treatment is not created by the researcher e.g.
legal change.

Equivalent Time-Sample Design (Quasi-Experimental)

It consists of a long series of observations during which a treatment is alternately

administered and then withdrawn. This design can be represented schematically as follows:

OOOXOOONOOOXOOONOOOXOOON

N = no treatment

It reduces likelihood of an external event confound to the treatment. There are differences
between expected temporary and permanent effects.

Advantages of Quasi Experimental Designs

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1. Since quasi-experimental designs are used when randomization is impossible and/or

impractical, they are typically easier to set up than true experimental designs; random
assignment of subjects.

2. Additionally, utilizing quasi-experimental designs minimizes threats to external validity

as natural environments do not suffer the same problems of artificiality as compared to a
well-controlled laboratory setting.

3. Since quasi-experiments are natural experiments, findings in one may be applied to other
subjects and settings, allowing for some generalizations to be made about population.
Also, this experimentation method is efficient in longitudinal research that involves
longer time periods which can be followed up in different environments.

Disadvantages of Quasi Experimental Designs

1. The control allowed through the manipulation of the quasi-independent variable can lead
to unnatural circumstances; although the dangers of artificiality are considerably less
relative to true experiments (quasi-experimental designs are often chosen for field studies
where the random assignment of experimental subjects is impractical, unethical, or
impossible).

2. Also, the lack of random assignment in the quasi-experimental design method may allow
studies to be more feasible, but this also poses many challenges for the investigator in
terms of internal validity.

3. This deficiency in randomization makes it harder to rule out confounding variables and
introduces new threats to internal validity.

4. Because randomization is absent, some knowledge about the data can be approximated,
but conclusions of causal relationships are difficult to determine due to a variety of
extraneous and confounding variables that exist in a social environment.

References
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Psychometrics threats to internal validity. (2009). Retrieved May 22, 2010 from

http://www.psychmet.com/id12.html

Rybarova, D. (2006). Nonexperimental and quasi-experimental strategies: nonequivalent group,

pre-post, and developmental designs. Retrieved on May 22, 2010, from

http://www.u.arizona.edu/~dusana/psych290Bpresession06/notes/Ch10%20Nonexperime

ntal%20and%20Quasi-Experimental%20Strategies.ppt

Robinson, G. S. (2007). Quasi-experimental strategy: nonequivalent group, time-series, and

developmental designs. Retrieved on May 22, 2010, from

http://gsrjr.ncat.edu/psyres/psyresch9.ppt

Wikipedia. (2010). Quasi-experimental design. Retrieved on May 22, 2010, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-experimental_design