Making Research Relevant by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2018-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

Types of Research Questions Best Suited for Quasi-Experimental Methods

In short, quasi-experimental designs are most appropriate when researchers want to understand the effect of an experience or event, including a mental health intervention, on two or more groups. As will be explored later in this chapter, the effect must be able to be assessed quantitatively, and the researcher must have a large enough sample to compare groups in a way that allows for detection of changes over time.

To understand construction of research questions best suited for quasi-experimental methods, it is important to understand a few general concepts as applied to this design. The independent variable is the treatment, event, or experience being investigated in the study. In quasi-experimental design, the independent variable is comprised of two or more groups (e.g., treatment group, no-treatment control group, or comparison group). The dependent variable is the outcome the researcher believes will change as a result of exposure to the independent variable.

Quasi-experimental methods help researchers answer the general question Do those who experience [independent variable/experimental condition] report changes in [dependent variable] compared to those who [independent variable control/comparison condition]? In the bullying example, the research question might read, “To what degree do students who engaged in a bullying intervention report changes in likeliness to intervene as bystanders compared to students who participated in treatment as usual through the district’s school counseling curriculum?” In this case, the research question makes clear both the independent variable (bullying intervention vs. treatment as usual) and the dependent variable (likelihood to intervene as a bystander).

Quasi-experimental research questions may be simple or complex. For example, quasi-experimental designs can assess effectiveness of multiple treatment conditions on multiple dependent variables. In the case study that follows, a sexual violence response center decides to evaluate impact of a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) group for waitlist clients (independent variable) on symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and overall outcome (two dependent variables). Their research question was “To what degree do survivors who participate in an MBSR group demonstrate improvements in PTSD, symptom distress, interpersonal relations, and social functioning compared to waitlist clients who have access to a peer support group only?”

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