Quasi Experimental Design

Definition
The quasi-experimental research strategy, like an experiment, typically involves a
comparison of groups or conditions. However, a quasi-experimental study uses a non
manipulated variable to define the usually a participant variable (such as male versus
female) or a time variable (such as before versus after treatment).

Introduction
It is often asserted that the classical evaluation design, using random assignment
of individuals or families to treatment or control groups, is superior to quasi-experimental
evaluation designs. This is certainly true for some demonstration programs or
interventions, but in the human service arena, programs suited to a classic experiment
may be the exception rather than the rule.
In many research situations, however, it is difficult or impossible for a researcher
to satisfy completely the rigorous requirements of an experiment. This is particularly true
for applied research in natural settings, such as educational research in the classroom and
clinical research with real clients. In these situations a researcher can often devise a
research strategy (a method of collecting data) that is similar to an experiment but fails to
satisfy at least one of the requirements of a true experiment. Such studies are generally
called Quasi-experimental research studies. Although quasi –experimental studies
typically are intended to show causal relationship (for example, a clinician would like to
show that the therapy causes patients to improve), they usually contain a confounding
variable or other threats to internal validity that is an integral part of the design and
simply cannot be removed. The existence of a confounding variable means that these
studies cannot establish unambiguous cause and effect relationships and therefore are not
true experiments. The fact that quasi-experimental studies are not true experiments does
not mean that they are useless or even second class research studies. Quasi experimental
research serves a real purpose and in some cases is the only option available for certain
questions.
Quasi experimental research strategies are used in studies that are almost, but not
quite, true experiments. Quasi experimental studies often look like experiments in tem of
the general structure of the study.

Nonequivalent group designs

A 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, and the groups of participants are therefore
considered nonequivalent.

Threats to internal validity

A nonequivalent group design has a built-in threat to internal validity that
precludes an unambiguous cause and effect explanation: assignment bias.
Assignment bias occurs whenever the assignment procedure results in groups in
which the participants in one have different characteristics from the participants in
another group.
Differential research designs
A research study that simply compares pre-existing groups is called a differential
research design. This type of study often is called ex post facto research because its goal
is to establish differences between the pre-existing groups. A differential study uses a
participant characteristic such as gender, race, or personality to automatically assign
participants to groups. The researcher does not assign individuals randomly to groups. A
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 the scores in another group.

Non Equivalent Control Group Design:

It uses pre-existing groups, one of which serves in the treatment condition and the
other in the control condition. The researcher does not randomly assign individuals to the
group.

Types of Non Equivalent Control Group Design:

There are two types of Non Equivalent Control Group Design:
1. Posttest only nonequivalent control group design
2. Pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design

1. Posttest only nonequivalent control group design

A nonequivalent control group design uses pre-existing groups, one of which
serves in treatment condition and the other in the control condition. The researcher does
not randomly assign individuals to the groups. A post test only nonequivalent control
group design compares two nonequivalent groups of participants. One group is observed
after receiving a treatment, and the other group is measured at the same time but receives
no treatment.

2. Pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design

A pretest posttest nonequivalent control group design compares two
nonequivalent groups. One group is measured twice-once before a treatment is
administered and once after. The other group is measured at the same two times but does
not receive any treatment.

Other threats to internal validity

Although pretest posttest design minimizes some threats to internal validity, the
structure of the design creates the potential for other threats. This type of design involves
repeated observations of participants over time which allows other factors to threaten the
internal validity of the study.
History: It refers to the events that occur during the research study but outside it
are called history. If the outside events can influence the participants’ scores, then history
becomes a threat to internal validity.
 Instrumentation: It refers to changes in the measurement instrument that occur
over time.
Practice and Fatigue: When the observation of participants involves some form
of testing, it is possible that testing experience during the first observation will change the
participants and affect their scores during the second observation.
Maturation: Any biological and or psychological processes that change over time
are called maturation.
Regression: Regression towards the mean is the statistical phenomenons in which
individuals that have extreme scores during the first observation tend to have less
extreme scores during a later observation.
History effects: It refers to the effect that differs from one group to another are
called differential history effects. In a non equivalent group design there is always the
possibility that differential history causing the groups to be different.

Time series design

A time series design has a series of observations before a treatment and a series of
observations after the treatment. A prototypical time series study involves a series of
observations that is followed by the introduction of a treatment or other event, which is
then followed by another series of observations. The goal of a time series design is to
evaluate the influence of the intervening treatment or event by comparing the
observations made before treatment with the observations made after treatment.

Threats to internal validity for time series designs

The internal validity of a time series study is threatened by various factors related
to the passage of time e.g., History Effect, Instrumentation, Regression, Practice/ Fatigue
and Maturation. During the time between the first observation and the last observation,
any one of these factors could influence the participants and cause a change in their
scores. Unless these factors are controlled or minimized by the structure of the research
design, a time series study cannot approach the internal validity of a true experiment

One group pretest posttest design

A simplified version of the time series design consists of only one observation
made before the treatment or event and only one observation made after it.
Schematically, this simple form can be represented as follows:
O x O
O represents an observation or measurement, and X represents the treatment. This
type of study is not a real time series but rather is called a one group pretest posttest
design, or simply a pretest posttest design.

Time series and interrupted time series designs

Once again, in a true time series design, a series of observations is made before
and after the treatment or event. It can be represented as follows:
OOOXOOO
The intervening treatment or event X may or may not be manipulated by the
researcher. When the event that occurs in the middle of the series of observations is
actually a treatment manipulated or administered by the researcher, the research study is
simply called a time series design. A study in which the intervening event is not
manipulated by the researcher is called an interrupted time series design.

Equivalent time samples design

Consists of a long series of observations during which a treatment which a
treatment is alternately administered and then withdrawn. By repeatedly applying and
withdrawing the treatment, this design reduces the likelihood that some coincidental
outside event, and not the treatment, is responsible for observed changes in behavior. In
symbols, this strategy can be represented as:
OOOXOOONOOOXOOONOOO
Where O=Observation, X= Treatment and N= No Treatment

Developmental research strategy

The developmental research strategy is another type of another type of no
experimental research that can be used to study changes in behavior that relate to age.
The purpose of developmental research designs is to describe the relationship between
age and other variables.

Cross sectional research design

The cross sectional research design uses different groups of individuals, each
group representing a different age. The different groups are measured at point in time and
then compared.

Strengths and Weaknesses of cross sectional research design

One of the advantages of the cross sectional design is that the researcher need not
wait for the participants to age but can examine the effects of 40 years of aging in one
day. With cross sectional research design, data can be collected in a short period of time;
it does not require long term cooperation between the researcher and the participants. The
cross sectional design is not without weaknesses.
One of the weaknesses is that a researcher cannot say anything about how a
particular individual develops over time, because individuals are not followed over years.
Further the design’s major problem is that factors other than age may differentiate the
groups. The term cohort effect and generation effect refer to a difference between age and
groups due to unique characteristics or experiences other than age.

Longitudinal research design

Examines development by making a series of observations or measurements over
time. Commonly the same group of individuals is followed and measured at different
points in time.

Strengths and weaknesses of longitudinal research design

There are no cohort or generation effects. It assesses individual behavior changes.
It is time consuming. Participant’s dropout may cause bias. Practice can influence the
results. Within the context of quasi experimental research, the variable that is used to
differentiate the groups of participants or the groups of scores being compared is called
the quasi independent variable, and the variable that is measured to obtain a score for
each individual is called the development variable.