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Based on the provided example of evaluating an anti-drug education program, outline the sequence of steps involved in a one-group pretest-posttest design. In your description, identify the primary structural limitation of this design when researchers attempt to draw conclusions about the program's effectiveness.
Question: Based on the provided example of evaluating an anti-drug education program, outline the sequence of steps involved in a one-group pretest-posttest design. In your description, identify the primary structural limitation of this design when researchers attempt to draw conclusions about the program's effectiveness.
Sample answer: The sequence begins by measuring the students' baseline attitudes toward illegal drugs (the pretest). Next, the anti-drug curriculum is implemented over a specified period. Finally, the students' attitudes are measured again (the posttest) to compare scores and identify any attitude changes. The primary limitation of this design is the lack of a control group, which makes it difficult to definitively attribute any observed attitude change solely to the educational program.
Key points:
- First step: Measure baseline attitudes (pretest).
- Second step: Implement the anti-drug curriculum over a specified period.
- Third step: Measure attitudes again (posttest).
- Compare pretest and posttest scores to see if attitudes changed.
- Primary limitation: Lack of a control group.
- Consequence of limitation: Difficulty in attributing change solely to the educational program.
Rubric: The answer must outline all three stages of the design in the correct order (measuring baseline attitudes/pretest, implementing the curriculum, and measuring attitudes again/posttest). Additionally, the response must identify the lack of a control group as the primary limitation that hinders definitive attribution of the change to the program.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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