Single Case and Quasi-Experimental Designs

Directions:
Select the BEST response alternative for each of the questions below.

1. A participant's behavior is measured over time during a baseline control period in a ________ experimental design.

A) single-case

B) control series

C) equivalent between subjects control group

D) nonequivalent within subjects control group

2. Special designs for single-case experiments derived from the need to:

A) examine a measurement at only one point in time for single participants.

B) measure only a single dependent variable for less than 30 participants.

C) determine if a manipulation had an effect on a single research participant.

D) overcome selection effects that occur in single-subject randomized designs.

3. The method to use if you wanted to demonstrate the reversibility of any effects of an independent variable is ________ design.

A) a quasi-experimental

B) an interrupted time series

C) a control series

D) an ABAB

4. From an ethical viewpoint, the design described in the previous question is preferred because it:

A) rules out chance fluctuations and coincidental events.

B) is less expensive and less time-consuming than any other design.

C) tends to be easier to replicate compared with other designs.

D) ends with a treatment that may be beneficial to the participant.

5. An advantage to Dr. Paul's favorite design, "The multiple baseline design," is that it is often used when:

A) it is impossible or unethical to reverse a treatment.

B) random assignment of subjects to groups is done incorrectly.

C) a researcher wants to compare multiple behaviors to one specific behavior.

D) there is a strong likelihood of uneven attrition across conditions.

6. Lee noticed that positive comments helped her son perform better at tennis. Employing the same technique to her son when he studied as well as when he practiced piano, she observed improvements in her son's academics as well as his piano playing. What single-case design did Lee make use of?

A) Multiple-baseline design across situations.

B) Situation-specific reversal design.

C) Nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design.

D) Multiple-posttest-only design.

7. A difference between true experimental designs and quasi-experimental designs is that:

A) true experimental designs use control groups while quasi-experimental designs do not.

B) true experimental designs use random assignment while quasi-experimental designs do not.

C) quasi-experimental designs use random assignment while true experimental designs do not.

D) quasi-experimental designs use control groups while true experimental designs do not.

8. Dr. Dataman studied the effects of weather on college students' study habits. On a sunny day, he sat in the library quiet room and recorded the number of minutes of study per student. Dr. Dataman's design lacks a crucial element:

A) an experimental group.

B) a control group.

C) a dependent variable.

D) All of the above.

9. Unfortunately, ________ represents a likely threat to internal validity when researchers use a one-group pretest-posttest design.

A) a cohort effect

B) regression toward the mean

C) propensity score matching

D) experimenter bias

10. Your study likely has a ________ effect if events occurred between the first and second measurement period that influenced the dependent measure but were not part of the manipulation.

A) history

B) maturation

C) testing

D) cohort

11. Researchers who use a one-group pretest-posttest design must realize that testing effects occur when:

A) simply taking a pretest changes participants' behavior regardless of the treatment presented.

B) participants becomes too bored/fatigued to respond accurately.

C) confounding events happen concurrently with the presentation of the treatment.

D) the measuring instrument changes over time and between participants.

12. The basic idea of regression toward the mean is that:

A) it is due to changes that occur systematically over time.

B) participants should be randomly selected from only high and low scoring pre-tests.

C) eventually, all the ways that means are calculated will tend to result in similar averages.

D) extreme scores on pretesting will tend to change in the direction of the mean upon retesting.

13. A serious flaw of nonequivalent control group designs is that ________ likely to occur.

A) selection differences are

B) regression toward the mean is

C) history effects are

D) maturation effects are

14. Pretest designs are not commonly employed unless a researcher uses a nonequivalent control group design. Why?

A) A pretest will reveal the research goals to participants.

B) Researchers want to see higher scores on the posttest than on the pretest.

C) Nonequivalent groups cannot be accurately compared to one another, so a researcher can look at relative changes between pretest and posttest scores for each group by itself.

D) When pretest scores are different between the groups, the researchers can rely on statistical "tricks" to allow comparisons between the groups which they could not do if there was no pretest.

15. RMU records the number of applications one year before and one year after the application fee was eliminated. This is an example of ________ quasi-experimental design.

A) a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest

B) an interrupted time series

C) a control series

D) a reversal

16. The two types of developmental methods used to study individuals of different ages are:

A) between and within subject designs.

B) quasi-experimental and nonequivalent control group designs.

C) repeated measures and independent groups designs.

D) longitudinal and cross-sectional research designs.

17. In developmental research, a group of people born at about the same time, exposed to the same events in a society is called:

A) a subject pool.

B) a nonequivalent group.

C) a cohort.

D) an equivalent group.

18. In the text, the study by Orth and colleagues (2010) examined the development of self-esteem at various ages and over time. They identified six different age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75+) and collected self-esteem ratings from 1986, 1989, 1994, and 2002. This was a ________ design.

A) cross-sectional

B) interrupted time series

C) sequential method

D) longitudinal

19. Unfortunately, when using a cross-sectional study, a difference among groups of different ages may likely result from ________ effects rather than (or in addition to) the variable of interest.

A) regression

B) nonequivalent

C) propensity

D) cohort

End of Quiz!

Your score out of 100%: %

The correct answers are marked by a "C" in the box before each question. The incorrect questions are marked by an "X".

1.	A participant's behavior is measured over time during a baseline control period in a ________ experimental design.
	A)	single-case
	B)	control series
	C)	equivalent between subjects control group
	D)	nonequivalent within subjects control group
2.	Special designs for single-case experiments derived from the need to:
	A)	examine a measurement at only one point in time for single participants.
	B)	measure only a single dependent variable for less than 30 participants.
	C)	determine if a manipulation had an effect on a single research participant.
	D)	overcome selection effects that occur in single-subject randomized designs.
3.	The method to use if you wanted to demonstrate the reversibility of any effects of an independent variable is ________ design.
	A)	a quasi-experimental
	B)	an interrupted time series
	C)	a control series
	D)	an ABAB
4.	From an ethical viewpoint, the design described in the previous question is preferred because it:
	A)	rules out chance fluctuations and coincidental events.
	B)	is less expensive and less time-consuming than any other design.
	C)	tends to be easier to replicate compared with other designs.
	D)	ends with a treatment that may be beneficial to the participant.
5.	An advantage to Dr. Paul's favorite design, "The multiple baseline design," is that it is often used when:
	A)	it is impossible or unethical to reverse a treatment.
	B)	random assignment of subjects to groups is done incorrectly.
	C)	a researcher wants to compare multiple behaviors to one specific behavior.
	D)	there is a strong likelihood of uneven attrition across conditions.
6.	Lee noticed that positive comments helped her son perform better at tennis. Employing the same technique to her son when he studied as well as when he practiced piano, she observed improvements in her son's academics as well as his piano playing. What single-case design did Lee make use of?
	A)	Multiple-baseline design across situations.
	B)	Situation-specific reversal design.
	C)	Nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design.
	D)	Multiple-posttest-only design.
7.	A difference between true experimental designs and quasi-experimental designs is that:
	A)	true experimental designs use control groups while quasi-experimental designs do not.
	B)	true experimental designs use random assignment while quasi-experimental designs do not.
	C)	quasi-experimental designs use random assignment while true experimental designs do not.
	D)	quasi-experimental designs use control groups while true experimental designs do not.
8.	Dr. Dataman studied the effects of weather on college students' study habits. On a sunny day, he sat in the library quiet room and recorded the number of minutes of study per student. Dr. Dataman's design lacks a crucial element:
	A)	an experimental group.
	B)	a control group.
	C)	a dependent variable.
	D)	All of the above.
9.	Unfortunately, ________ represents a likely threat to internal validity when researchers use a one-group pretest-posttest design.
	A)	a cohort effect
	B)	regression toward the mean
	C)	propensity score matching
	D)	experimenter bias
10.	Your study likely has a ________ effect if events occurred between the first and second measurement period that influenced the dependent measure but were not part of the manipulation.
	A)	history
	B)	maturation
	C)	testing
	D)	cohort
11.	Researchers who use a one-group pretest-posttest design must realize that testing effects occur when:
	A)	simply taking a pretest changes participants' behavior regardless of the treatment presented.
	B)	participants becomes too bored/fatigued to respond accurately.
	C)	confounding events happen concurrently with the presentation of the treatment.
	D)	the measuring instrument changes over time and between participants.
12.	The basic idea of regression toward the mean is that:
	A)	it is due to changes that occur systematically over time.
	B)	participants should be randomly selected from only high and low scoring pre-tests.
	C)	eventually, all the ways that means are calculated will tend to result in similar averages.
	D)	extreme scores on pretesting will tend to change in the direction of the mean upon retesting.
13.	A serious flaw of nonequivalent control group designs is that ________ likely to occur.
	A)	selection differences are
	B)	regression toward the mean is
	C)	history effects are
	D)	maturation effects are
14.	Pretest designs are not commonly employed unless a researcher uses a nonequivalent control group design. Why?
	A)	A pretest will reveal the research goals to participants.
	B)	Researchers want to see higher scores on the posttest than on the pretest.
	C)	Nonequivalent groups cannot be accurately compared to one another, so a researcher can look at relative changes between pretest and posttest scores for each group by itself.
	D)	When pretest scores are different between the groups, the researchers can rely on statistical "tricks" to allow comparisons between the groups which they could not do if there was no pretest.
15.	RMU records the number of applications one year before and one year after the application fee was eliminated. This is an example of ________ quasi-experimental design.
	A)	a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest
	B)	an interrupted time series
	C)	a control series
	D)	a reversal
16.	The two types of developmental methods used to study individuals of different ages are:
	A)	between and within subject designs.
	B)	quasi-experimental and nonequivalent control group designs.
	C)	repeated measures and independent groups designs.
	D)	longitudinal and cross-sectional research designs.
17.	In developmental research, a group of people born at about the same time, exposed to the same events in a society is called:
	A)	a subject pool.
	B)	a nonequivalent group.
	C)	a cohort.
	D)	an equivalent group.
18.	In the text, the study by Orth and colleagues (2010) examined the development of self-esteem at various ages and over time. They identified six different age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75+) and collected self-esteem ratings from 1986, 1989, 1994, and 2002. This was a ________ design.
	A)	cross-sectional
	B)	interrupted time series
	C)	sequential method
	D)	longitudinal
19.	Unfortunately, when using a cross-sectional study, a difference among groups of different ages may likely result from ________ effects rather than (or in addition to) the variable of interest.
	A)	regression
	B)	nonequivalent
	C)	propensity
	D)	cohort