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Nonequivalent Groups Design
A nonequivalent groups design is a specific type of between-subjects design and a quasi-experimental approach in which researchers do not use random assignment to allocate participants to their respective conditions. Due to this absence of random assignment, the resulting comparison groups are nonequivalent, meaning they are likely to have inherent, pre-existing differences. These initial dissimilarities introduce potential confounding variables that can significantly threaten the internal validity of the research.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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Which of the following is a key characteristic that distinguishes quasi-experimental research from a true experiment?
Match each feature of a quasi-experimental design with the specific role it plays or the consequence it has on the quality of a psychological research study.
A clinical psychologist evaluates the effectiveness of a new mindfulness-based therapy by providing the treatment to all patients at one clinic while patients at a neighboring clinic receive standard care. Because the researcher is manipulating the treatment but is using pre-existing groups rather than assigning individual patients to conditions by chance, this study is best categorized as a(n) _________ research design.
A psychologist is testing the impact of a new peer-mentoring program in a local high school. Arrange the logical sequence of steps the psychologist would take to conduct a study that follows a quasi-experimental design and evaluates the strength of its causal claims.
A researcher claims that their quasi-experimental study provides the same level of confidence in causal conclusions as a true experiment because both designs involve the manipulation of an independent variable. This evaluative claim is scientifically sound.
Although quasi-experimental research offers more control than purely correlational studies, it generally possesses lower internal validity than a true experiment because it lacks random assignment or counterbalancing.
A researcher evaluates a new educational software by implementing it in one classroom and comparing the results to another classroom that continues with the standard curriculum. Which statement best explains why this quasi-experimental design has lower internal validity than a true experiment, yet still provides more control than a purely correlational study?
A psychology instructor asks students to match scenarios with their corresponding design feature. Match each research description to the quasi-experimental design feature or consequence it applies.
An investigator is analyzing the methodological differences between two research proposals. Study A uses random assignment and counterbalancing, whereas Study B implements a comparison condition using pre-existing groups without random assignment. In analyzing their quality, the investigator concludes that Study B generally possesses lower _____ than Study A.
Evaluate the following research design scenarios based on the standard of internal validity and control established in methodology. Arrange them in order from the design that provides the HIGHEST level of internal validity to the design that provides the LOWEST level of internal validity.
Nonequivalent Groups Design
In a between-subjects experiment, what term describes groups that are formed without the use of random assignment and thus possess inherent, pre-existing differences from the outset?
If a researcher assigns participants to conditions based on whether they sign up for a morning or afternoon session, the resulting groups are considered nonequivalent.
A psychologist is conducting several research studies comparing existing groups of people without using random assignment. Match each research scenario to the specific pre-existing difference that would lead the researcher to classify the groups as nonequivalent.
A researcher evaluates a new 'Memory Booster' supplement by comparing a group of students who volunteered for a 6:00 AM trial to a group of students who did not volunteer. Arrange the following statements to logically trace how this lack of random assignment creates 'nonequivalent groups' and leads to ambiguous results.
A clinical psychologist is designing a research protocol to compare the recovery rates of patients in two different psychiatric clinics. To construct a study that specifically utilizes nonequivalent groups, which of the following procedures should the psychologist follow?
In a between-subjects experiment, nonequivalent groups are formed when researchers use random assignment to ensure that the groups are as similar as possible from the outset.
To demonstrate your understanding of group composition in psychological research, match each research-design concept with the statement that best describes it.
A psychologist attempts to test a new memory strategy by comparing students in an 8:00 AM class to those in a 2:00 PM class. When assessing the rigor of this research, a critic would point out that because students were not randomly assigned, the researcher is comparing _____ groups, making any conclusions about the strategy's effectiveness highly questionable.
An educational researcher compares the reading comprehension scores of students in two pre-existing classrooms, where one class receives a new reading intervention and the other does not. In analyzing the design, the researcher notes that because students were not randomly assigned to the classrooms, the groups likely differ on variables such as baseline reading ability and socioeconomic status. Because of these pre-existing differences from the outset, the researcher must analyze these groups as _____ in their study.
A psychologist evaluates a study claiming a new exercise program reduces anxiety. The study compared a group of volunteers who chose the exercise program to a control group who preferred a sedentary lifestyle. Order the steps a critic should take to evaluate the internal validity of the psychologist's claim, starting from identifying the group assignment method to rendering a final judgment on the causal conclusion.
Learn After
Posttest Only Nonequivalent Groups Design
Pretest-Posttest Nonequivalent Groups Design
Interrupted Time-Series Design with Nonequivalent Groups
What is the defining characteristic of a nonequivalent groups design?
Because a nonequivalent groups design does not use random assignment, researchers must expect that their comparison groups will likely have pre-existing differences that could threaten the internal validity of their research.
A psychology researcher is investigating the effectiveness of a new 'Study Skills' seminar. Match each research scenario with the specific reason it constitutes a nonequivalent groups design.
Analyze the logical progression of how a nonequivalent groups design introduces threats to internal validity. Arrange the following steps in the correct order to show the relationship between the design choice and the resulting experimental confounding.
As a school psychologist, you are tasked with designing a study to evaluate whether a new 'Peer Mediation' program reduces playground conflict. If you are required to use a nonequivalent groups design, which of the following research plans should you develop?
A nonequivalent groups design is a type of between-subjects design where researchers do not use _____ assignment to allocate participants to conditions.
When evaluating whether a researcher can justify causal conclusions in a nonequivalent groups design, a critic would point out that the lack of random assignment fails to control for _____ variables, which serve as alternative explanations for the results.
A researcher compares a school that voluntarily implements a new mindfulness program with another school that does not. At the end of the year, students at the mindfulness school score significantly higher on a test of emotional regulation. True or False: Because this is a nonequivalent groups design, the researcher can confidently conclude that the mindfulness program caused the improvement in emotional regulation.
A researcher investigates a new teaching method by comparing two existing classrooms. Match each component of this nonequivalent groups design study with its corresponding analytical description.
Arrange the steps in the correct logical order to evaluate the validity of a researcher's causal claim in a study using a nonequivalent groups design.