EXPERIMENTATION

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 Variables in Experiments
• Independent variables

• Dependent variables

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 Advantages of an Experiment?
 Researcher’s ability to manipulate the
independent variable
 Contamination from extraneous variables
can be controlled more efficiently
 Convenience

 Cost

 Replication

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 Disadvantages of Experiments
 Artificiality
of the laboratory
 Generalization from nonprobability
samples
 Larger budgets needed

 Restricted to problems of the present or

immediate future
 Ethical limits to manipulation of people

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 Experimentation Process
 Select relevant variables
 Specify the treatment levels

 Control the experimental environment

 Choose the experimental design

 Select and assign the participants

 Pilot-test, revise, and test

 Analyze the data

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 Ways to Assign Subjects

 Random Assignment
 Matching Assignment

• Quota matrix

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 Does a Measure Accomplish
What it Claims?
 Internal validity

 External validity

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 Threats to Internal Validity
 Selection
 History
 Statistical
 Maturation

 Testing
Regression
 Experimental
 Instrumentation
Mortality

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 Threats to External Validity
 The Reactivity of Testing on X
 Interaction of Selection and X

 Other Biasing Effects on X

• Artificial setting of testing

• Respondents knowledge of testing

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 Experimental Designs
 Preexperimental designs

 True experimental designs

 Field experiments

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 Design Symbols

X the introduction of an experimental

stimulus to the participant

0 a measure or observation activity

R an indication that sample units have

been randomly assigned
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 Preexperimental Designs
 One-shot case study

 One-group pretest-posttest design

 Static group comparison

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 True Experimental Designs
 Pretest-posttest control group design

 Posttest-only control group design

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 Operational Extensions of True
Designs
 Completely randomized designs
 Randomized block design

 Latin square

 Factorial design

 Covariance analysis

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 Field Experiments:
Quasi- or Semi-Experiments
 Non Equivalent Control Group Design

 Separate Sample Pretest-Posttest

Design

 Group Time Series Design

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