QUANTITATIVE

RESEARCH DESIGN
HR ALBURO, DIT
Analysis
• Hypothesis
• Theory
• Qualitative
• Quantitative
• Experimental
• Non-experimental
• Correlation
• Descriptive
• Hawthorne effect
• Ex post facto
• Placebo effect
Quali vs Quanti
• Quantitative research is expressed in numbers and
graphs. It is used to test or confirm theories and
assumptions. This type of research can be used to
establish generalizable facts about a topic.
• Common quantitative methods include experiments,
observations recorded as numbers, and surveys with
closed-ended questions.

• Quantitative research is at risk for research biases

including information bias, omitted variable bias, sampling
bias, or selection bias.
Quali vs Quanti
• Qualitative research is expressed in words. It is used to
understand concepts, thoughts or experiences. This type
of research enables you to gather in-depth insights on
topics that are not well understood.
• Common qualitative methods include interviews with
open-ended questions, observations described in words,
and literature reviews that explore concepts and theories.

• Qualitative research is also at risk for certain research

biases including the Hawthorne effect, observer bias,
recall bias, and social desirability bias.
When to use such?
• A rule of thumb for deciding whether to use qualitative or
quantitative data is:

• Use quantitative research if you want to confirm or test

something (a theory or hypothesis)
• Use qualitative research if you want to understand
something (concepts, thoughts, experiences)
Quantitative Research Approach

EXPERIMENTAL
NON-EXPERIMENTAL
• True Experimental Design
• Controlled Experimentation
• Solomon Four Experimental
• Correlation Studies
Design • Surveys
• Delayed effects
experimental designs
Quantitative Research Approach
Experimental Research Non-experimental Research

• Involves a study of the effect of • The researcher identifies

the systematic manipulation of variables and may look for
one variable(s) on another relationships among them but
variable. does not manipulate the
• The manipulated variable is variables.
called the experimental • Major forms of non-
treatment or the independent experimental research are
variable. relationship studies including
• The observed and measured ex post facto and correlational
variable is called the and survey research.
dependent variable.
Ex post facto
• Causal comparative research, examines the cause-and-effect
relationship between an independent and dependent variable. It
studies the reasons behind a change that has already occurred.

• Example
• Researchers form two groups, one with Type 2 diabetes
sufferers and one with no diagnosed diabetics.
• Researchers allow the groups to choose whatever drink they
want from many choices in a waiting room.
• Researchers record what each person chooses and analyze the
results.
Quantitative Approaches - Experimental
• For example, assume a university researcher wanted to
investigate the effect of providing online feedback to
students immediately following course examination.

• Using two sections of economics taught by the same

professor, the researcher, using a random procedure
would select one section to receive immediate online
feedback about their performance on test questions; the
other section would receive feedback during their next
class session (independent variables).
Quantitative Approaches - Experimental
• The researcher would compare the two sections’ exam
scores and their final grades in the course (dependent
variables).
• If test scores and final grades were higher than could be
accounted for by chance in the section receiving online
feedback, the researcher could tentatively conclude that
there is evidence that the online feedback (treatment or
independent variable) contributed to greater learning than
the in-class feedback.
Quantitative Approaches - Experimental

• Manipulates the experimental variable,

True Experimental one experimental and one control group
• Pre-test-posttest, Posttest only, Solomon
Design four-group

• One-group pretest-posttest
• No control group
Quasi Experimental • Subjects are randomly assigned to
groups

• One-shot case study

Pre-Experimental
True Experimental Design
• True Experimental Design can be categorized
into three variations based on its implementation:
A. Pretest-posttest controlled group design
i. Subjects are randomly assigned
ii. A pretest is given to both groups
iii. The experimental group receives the treatment
while the control group does not
iv. A posttest is given to both
True Experimental Design
The procedure is summarized as follows:
R  O1XO2 (experimental
group)
R  O1 O2 (control group)
Where: R stands for random selection
O1 stands for pretest
O2 stands for posttest
X stands for intervention
True Experimental Design
b. Posttest only controlled group
design
i. Subjects are randomly assigned to groups
ii. The experimental group receives the
treatment while the control group does not
receive the treatment.
iii. A posttest is given to both groups.
True Experimental Design
The procedure is summarized as
follows:
R XO2 (experimental group)
R O2 (control group)
Where:
R stands for random selection
O2 stands for posttest
X stands for intervention
True Experimental Design
c. Solomon four-group design
It is considered as the most prestigious
experimental design. It minimizes internal and external
validity.
i. Subjects are randomly assigned to one of four
groups
ii. Two of the groups (experimental group 1 and
control group 1) are pretested
iii. The other two groups (experimental group 2 and
control group 2) receive routine or no treatment.
iv. A posttest is given to all four groups.
True Experimental Design
c. Solomon four-group design
The procedure is summarized as
follows:
R O1  XO2 (experimental
group)
R O1 O2 (control group)
R X  O2 (experimental group)
R O2 (control group)
Quasi-Experimental Design
In a quasi-experimental design, the experimenter must
use already assembled groups such as classes. This
design has two types: non-equivalent controlled group
design and time-series design
a. Non-equivalent controlled group design. This
design is like the pretest-posttest control group design
except that there is no random assignment of subjects
to the experimental and control groups:
The procedure is summarized as follows:
O1  XO2 (experimental group)
O1  O2 (control group)
Quasi- Experimental Design
b. One group pretest-posttest design
It provides a comparative
description of a group of subjects
before and after the experimental
treatment.
The procedure is summarized as
follows:
O1  XO2
• The objective is to evaluate the effect of that intervention
which can be:
• A training program
• A policy change
• A medical treatment, etc.
Quasi-Experimental Design
c. Time-series design. The researcher
periodically observes or measures the subjects:
O1  O2O3 X O4 O5 O6
Where:
O1 , O2, O3 stand for pretest (multiple
observations)
O4, O5, O6 stand for posttest (multiple
observations)
Pre-Experimental Design
Pre-experimental design is considered very
weak, as the researcher has little control over
the research. The design is also called a One-
shot case study.
A single group is exposed to an
experimental treatment and observed after
the treatment.

X O
Non-experimental
In non-experimental quantitative research, the
researcher identifies variables and may look for
relationships among them but does not manipulate the
variables. Significant forms of non-experimental
research are relationship studies, including ex facto and
correlational research and survey research.
Non-experimental research designs include ex post
facto research, correlational, and survey
(descriptive) research.
Quantitative Approaches –
Non-Experimental
• Conducted through self-report
• Uses a questionnaire and interviews
Survey • Aims to describe characteristics and
opinions as they exist in a population

• Gathers data from individuals on tow or

more variables
Correlational • Seeks to determine if the variables are
related (correlated)
• Coefficient of correlation
Hawthorne Effect
• The Hawthorne Effect is when people change
their behavior because they know they are being
observed.
• The term comes from a study at the Hawthorne
Works Factory in the 1920s and 1930s.
Researchers found that workers became more
productive when they realized they were
observed.
Hawthorne Effect
• The Hawthorne effect suggests that
workers change their behavior in response
to the attention they receive from their
supervisor. The study demonstrated that
social and psychological influences did
more to increase output than did changes
in wages and hours.
Hawthorne Effect
• The Hawthorne effect can also give
rise to ethical disadvantages. It is
often necessary to deceive subjects as
to the true nature of the experiment so
they do not act differently.
Examples
• Descriptive Research:
• A description of how second-grade students
spend their time during summer vacation.
• A description of the tobacco use habits of
teenagers
• A description of how parents feel about the
twelve-month school year.
Examples
• Correlation Research:
• The relationship between intelligence and self-
esteem
• The relationship between diet and anxiety
• The relationship between an aptitude test and
success in an algebra course
• The covariance of smoking and lung disease
Examples
• Correlation Research:
• The effect of preschool attendance on social
maturity at the end of the first grade
• The effect of taking multivitamins on a students’
school absenteeism
• The effect of gender on algebra achievement
• The effect of part-time employment on the
achievement of high school students
Examples
• Experimental Research:
• The effect of a new treatment plan on breast
cancer
• The effect of positive reinforcement on attitude
toward school
• The effect of teaching with a cooperative group
strategy or a traditional lecture approach on
students’ achievement
Examples
• Experimental Research:
• The effect of a systematic preparation and
support system on children who were
scheduled for surgery on the amount of
psychological upset and cooperation.
• A comparison of the effect of personalized
instruction vs traditional instruction on
computational skill.
Thank you!
Quiz/CORR
• A researcher is interested in the relationship between
social media use and anxiety in teenagers. They cannot
ethically manipulate social media use in teenagers, tapos
• A researcher suspects a link between teenagers' social
media use before bed and their sleep quality.
• An educator wonders if engaging in regular physical
activity impacts students' academic performance. (tapos)
• A game developer wants to explore if playing certain types
of video games improves players' problem-solving abilities
(tapos)
• A music therapist wants to understand how different music
genres might impact mood. tapos
DESCR
• A public health organization wants to understand the
prevalence of smoking among adults in a specific city.
• A tech company launches a new fitness tracker and wants
to understand customer experiences. (tapos)
• A linguist is interested in how teenagers communicate
online. tapos
• A humanitarian organization needs to assess the needs of
a community affected by a natural disaster. tapos
• A wildlife biologist studies a declining population of
pandas. tapos
exp
• A scientist wants to test the effectiveness of a new study
drug for improving memory in older adults. They conduct
a double-blind, randomized controlled trial: (Tapos)
• Pharmaceutical researchers are testing a new dietary
supplement claiming to improve memory in adults. (tapos)
• An educator wants to compare the effectiveness of two
different teaching methods for math problem-solving.
(tapos)
• An agricultural scientist investigates the impact of different
fertilizer types on plant growth.
• A marketing team wants to test the effectiveness of
influencer marketing on brand perception. Tapos