Explain from a technical viewpoint why it is important to distinguish between a Method, Research, Approach, and Design. Next, briefly discuss how understanding each term individually in addition to how these terms interconnect is important for your understanding of the application of research designs.
Discuss the importance of validity and research design. Next, choose one type of validity (internal, external, construct, or statistical conclusion) and discuss its relevance to experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental research.
Control is an important element in any type of research. Considering experimental research, come up with a hypothetical research scenario and apply each of the five types of control to the scenario. Use specific examples to illustrate your point.
There are various methods a researcher can use to assign participants to a condition. Choose two and provide a research scenario where this type of assignment technique would be beneficial.
Comparison groups are one of the important elements to the scientific control of a research design. Choose one type of comparison group from the list provided in the book and expand upon how the inclusion of this type of comparison group would improve the overall validity of the findings.
Identify a population and then a sample (subset) of that population. Next, identify the sample strategy you would have used to set apart that sample from the population.
Discuss the three major conditions that must be met in order to establish cause and effect. Next, choose one of these conditions and come up with a scenario that would not allow a researcher to meet this condition. Why would this affect the overall validity of the findings?
What are the major differences between quasi-experimental research and experimental research? Discuss a research scenario when quasi-experimental research is the only option. What techniques can be employed to strengthen the validity of the findings?
Identify two of the major threats to internal validity of a pre- and posttest design. What is it about the design that makes these major threats?
Explain the advantages or uses to including a pretest.
Use the companion website and locate a full-text version of any one of the pre- and posttest designs found in the book. Did the authors discuss the threats to internal validity? Expand on your answer as to why it is important to discuss the limitations of the design.
What makes a posttest-only design “stronger” in terms of internal validity than a design with a pretest? It is more appropriate to include random assignment for these designs? Why or why not?
Use the companion website and locate a full-text version of any one of the posttest designs found in the book. Did the authors discuss the threats to internal validity? Expand on your answer as to why it is important to discuss the limitations of the design.
What are the advantages to including a cutoff score as a means of assignment in the regression discontinuity approach?
Discuss a research scenario that would warrant the use of a regression discontinuity approach.
Discuss several reasons why a researcher would choose a within-subjects approach over a between-subjects approach.
Discuss three of the major threats to validity related to the repeated-measures approach. What is it about this approach that would make these threats important to consider?
Use the companion website and locate a full-text version of any one of the designs found under the repeated measures approach. Did the authors discuss the threats to internal validity? Expand on your answer as to why it is important to discuss the limitations of the design.
Develop a hypothetical research scenario that would necessitate the use of a 3-factor crossover design. Why would this design be the best option to utilize?
Develop a hypothetical research scenario that would necessitate the use of a 2 x 3 factorial design. It can be between-, within-, or mixed-subjects. Be sure to indicate both independent variables and all the levels of each variable.
Use the companion website and locate a full-text version of any one of the factorial designs found in the book. Did the authors discuss the threats to internal validity? Expand on your answer as to why it is important to discuss the limitations of the design.
Develop a hypothetical research scenario that would necessitate the use of a Solomon 4, 6, or 8-group Design. Include a description of all the variables. Discuss why this particular design would be the best option to use considering the scenario.
What are the strengths to conducting a study utilizing the single-case approach? Can cause and effect be established from such a design?
Use the companion website and locate a full-text version of any one of the designs found under the single-case approach in the book. Did the authors discuss the limitations to the study? Expand on your answer as to why it is important to discuss the limitations of the design.
