You are on page 1of 6

PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

 A research design which does not fit the standards of an authentic


experiment. Usually undertaken for exploratory purposes.
 Characterized by minimal control and many threats to validity – Campbell
 A research design that is set and does not have control over extraneous
factors.

There are three types of Pre-Experimental Designs


1. One-Shot Case Study
2. One Group Pre Test – Post Test Design
3. Static Group Comparison

The Pre-Experimental Designs are weak in their scientific measurement


power

They Fail to control adequately the various threats to internal validity


PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Cont..

The One-Shot Case Study.

X O
Treatment or manipulation of independent variable Measurement of dependent variable

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.
PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Cont..

One Group Pre Test – Post Test Design

O X O
Pretest Manipulations Post-Test
 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.
PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Cont..

Weaknesses in this design:


 If a historical event related to the dependent variable intervenes between the
pretest and the posttest, its effects could be confused with those of the
independent variable.

 Maturation changes in the subjects could also produce differences between


pretest and posttest scores.

 If paper-and pencil measures are used on a pretest and a different test


measure was used on the posttest, a shift of scores from pretest to posttest
could occur resulting in a testing threat.

 Finally, if the subjects were selected because they possessed some extreme
characteristic, differences between pretest and posttest scores could be due to
regression toward the mean.
PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Cont..

Static Group Comparison

X O1
------------------- --------------------
O2
 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.
PRE-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Cont..

 The major validity threat to this design is selection. Note that no random
assignment (omission of the letter "R") is the indicator that the comparison
group nonequivalent.

 In the above design, the group compared is picked up only for the purpose of
comparison. There is no assurance of comparability between it and the
experimental group.

 For example, we might wish to test the impact of a new type of math test by
comparing a school in which the program exists with one that does not have the
program. Any conclusions we might reach about the effects of the program
might be inaccurate because of other differences between the two schools.

 Despite their weaknesses, pre-experimental designs are used when


resources do not permit the development of true experimental designs. The
conclusions reached from this type of design should be regarded with the
utmost caution and the results viewed as suggestive at best (Dooley, 1990).

You might also like