PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS

Pre-experiments are the simplest form of research design. In a pre-experiment either a single
group or multiple groups are observed subsequent to some agent or treatment presumed to
cause change.
Types of Pre-Experimental Design
 One-shot case study design
 One-group pretest-posttest design
 Static-group comparison
One-shot case study design
A single group is studied at a single point in time after some treatment that is presumed to have
caused change. The carefully studied single instance is compared to general expectations of
what the case would have looked like had the treatment not occurred and to other events
casually observed. No control or comparison group is employed.
One-group pretest-posttest design
A single case is observed at two time points, one before the treatment and one after the
treatment. Changes in the outcome of interest are presumed to be the result of the intervention
or treatment. No control or comparison group is employed.
Static-group comparison
A group that has experienced some treatment is compared with one that has not. Observed
differences between the two groups are assumed to be a result of the treatment.
Validity of Results
An important drawback of pre-experimental designs is that they are subject to numerous threats
to their validity. Consequently, it is often difficult or impossible to dismiss rival hypotheses or
explanations. Therefore, researchers must exercise extreme caution in interpreting and
generalizing the results from pre-experimental studies.
One reason that it is often difficult to assess the validity of studies that employ a pre-
experimental design is that they often do not include any control or comparison group. Without
something to compare it to, it is difficult to assess the significance of an observed change in the
case. The change could be the result of historical changes unrelated to the treatment, the
maturation of the subject, or an artifact of the testing.
Even when pre-experimental designs identify a comparison group, it is still difficult to dismiss
rival hypotheses for the observed change. This is because there is no formal way to determine
whether the two groups would have been the same if it had not been for the treatment. If the
treatment group and the comparison group differ after the treatment, this might be a reflection of
differences in the initial recruitment to the groups or differential mortality in the experiment.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
As exploratory approaches, pre-experiments can be a cost-effective way to discern whether a
potential explanation is worthy of further investigation.

Disadvantages
Pre-experiments offer few advantages since it is often difficult or impossible to rule out
alternative explanations. The nearly insurmountable threats to their validity are clearly the most
important disadvantage of pre-experimental research designs.
Pre-Experimental Design
Pre-experimental designs are so named because they follow
basic experimental steps but fail to include a control group. In
other words, a single group is often studied but no comparison
between an equivalent non-treatment group is made.
Examples include the following:

The One-Shot Case Study.

In this arrangement, subjects are presented with some type of
treatment, such as a semester of college work experience,
and then the outcome measure is applied, such as college
grades. Like all experimental designs, the goal is to
determine if the treatment had any effect on the outcome.
Without a comparison group, it is impossible to determine if
the outcome scores are any higher than they would have
been without the treatment. And, without any pre-test scores,
it is impossible to determine if any change within the group
itself has taken place.

One Group Pretest Posttest Study.

A benefit of this design over the previously discussed design is the inclusion of a pretest to
determine baseline scores. To use this design in our study of college performance, we
could compare college grades prior to gaining the work experience to the grades after
completing a semester of work experience. We can now at least state whether a change in
the outcome or dependent variable has taken place. What we cannot say is if this change
would have occurred even without the application of the treatment or independent variable.
It is possible that mere maturation caused the change in grades and not the work
experience itself.

The Static Group Comparison Study.

This design attempts to make up for the lack of a control group but falls short in relation to
showing if a change has occurred. In the static group comparison study, two groups are
chosen, one of which receives the treatment and the
other does not. A posttest score is then determined to
measure the difference, after treatment, between the
two groups. As you can see, this study does not
include any pre-testing and therefore any difference
between the two groups prior to the study are
unknown.

Table 5.1: Diagrams of Pre-

Experimental Designs
Pre-Experimental Designs for Description
Descriptive research can provide data for monitoring and evaluating policies and
programs. These designs are concerned with how to answer questions such as:

-how many?

-how much?

-how efficient?

-how effective?

-how adequate?

WHY DO A SURVEY?
1. Uniqueness: gather information not available from
other sources
2. Probability Sampling: unbiased representation of
population of interest
3. Standardization of measurement: same information
collected from every respondent
4. Analysis needs: use survey data to compliment existing
data from secondary sources

BASIC SURVEY DESIGNS

• Cross-Sectional Surveys: Data are collected at one point in
time from a sample selected to represent a larger population.
• Longitudinal Surveys = Trend, Cohort, and Panel
Trend: Surveys of sample population at different points in
time
Cohort: Study of same population each time data are
collected,
although samples studied may be different
Panel: Collection of data at various time points with the
same
sample of respondents.

MODES OF SURVEY
ADMINISTRATION
• Personal (Face-to-Face)
• Telephone
• Mail
• Web
• Combination of Methods

HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON THE MODE OF

DATA COLLECTION?
Population
+
Characteristics Of The Sample
+
Types of Questions
+
Question Topic
+
Response Rate
+
$$ Cost $$
+
Time