Scribd
Upload
89 views11 pages

Causal Research: Experimental Designs

This document discusses experimental design and causal research. It defines key terms like internal validity, external validity, and confounding variables. It also explains different types of experimental designs like after-only, before-after, and time series designs. Finally, it identifies potential threats to validity for different experimental designs, like history, maturation, testing, regression, and selection bias.

Uploaded by

abhay_prakash_ranjan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
89 views11 pages

Causal Research: Experimental Designs

This document discusses experimental design and causal research. It defines key terms like internal validity, external validity, and confounding variables. It also explains different types of experimental designs like after-only, before-after, and time series designs. Finally, it identifies potential threats to validity for different experimental designs, like history, maturation, testing, regression, and selection bias.

Uploaded by

abhay_prakash_ranjan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 11

Causal Research

Experimental Designs
Myths & Reality
X is the only cause of Y
X is only one of a number of possible
causes of Y
X must always lead to Y
The occurrence of X makes the occurrence
of Y more probable
It’s possible to prove that X is a cause of Y
We can never prove that. We can infer at
best that X is a cause of Y.
Conditions of Causality

 Concomitant Variation

 Time Order Sequence

 Absence of other causal


variables
Symbols

X=the exposure of a group to an independent variable,


treatment, or event , the effects of which are to be
determined.

O=the process of observation or measurement of the


dependent variable on the test units or group units.

R=the random assignment of test units or groups to


separate treatments.
Validity in Experimentation
Internal Validity
A measure of accuracy of an experiment. It
measures whether the manipulation of the
independent variables, treatments, actually
caused the effects on the dependent
variable [s].

External Validity
A determination of whether the cause-and-
effect relationships found in the experiment
can be generalized.
After-only Design
X O1 after only

O1 X O2 before after

EG: X O1 after only with CG


CG: O2

EG: R O1 X O2 before after with CG


CG: R O3 X O4
Quasi-experimental Designs

Time Series Design


O1O2O3O4O5XO6O7O8O9O10

Multiple Time Series Design


EG: O1O2O3O4O5XO6O7O8O9O10
CG: O1O2O3O4O5 O6O7O8O9O10
No control on scheduling of treatments and
exposures cannot be randomized
Terminology
Extraneous or Confounding Variables:
Variables other than the independent variables that
influence the response of the test units.

Randomization:
A method of controlling extraneous variables that involves
randomly assigning test units to experimental groups by
using random numbers. Treatment conditions are also
randomly assigned to experimental groups.

Matching:
a method of controlling extraneous variables that involves
matching test units on a set of key background variables
before assigning them to the treatment conditions.
Extraneous Variables
History
specific events that are external to the experiment but
occur at the same time as the experiment.
Maturation
an extraneous variable attributable to the changes in
test units themselves that occur with the passage of
time.
Main testing effect
an effect of testing occurring when a prior observation
affects a latter observation.
Interactive testing effect
an effect in which a prior measurement affects the test
unit’s response to the independent variable.
Extraneous Variables
Instrumentation
an extraneous variable involving changes in the
measuring instrument or in the observers or scores
themselves.
Statistical Regression
An extraneous variable that occurs when test units with
extreme scores move closer to the average score during
the course of the experiment.
Selection Bias
An extraneous variable attributable to the improper
assignment of test units to treatment conditions.
Mortality
An extraneous variable attributable to the loss of test
units while the experiment is in progress.
Sources of invalidity of
Experimental Designs

After only: H,M,S,M all –

Before after: H,M,T,I – R ? IT –

After only with CG: H,T,I,R + M ? S,M –

Before after with CG & R: HMTIRSM all + IT –

After only with CG & R: all +

You might also like