The non-equivalent comparison group design is a quasi-experimental design in which, for reasons of practicality, we cannot insure that the control and experimental groups are equivalent to each other when the experiment begins. The major interpretational difficulty imposed by this design is
A) knowing whether the two groups are different from each other on the dependent measure once the experiment is complete.
B) deciding how much each group has to gain on the posttest compared to the pretest to be sure that the differences are reliable.
C) determining when we have collected enough data points to make a statement about the experiment's outcome.
D) being sure that any differences between groups at the end of the experiment result from the independent variable's influence alone, and are not related to preexisting differences.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The major interpretational difficulty with a non-equivalent comparison group design is ensuring that any observed differences between the experimental and control groups at the end of the study are due to the manipulation of the independent variable, rather than preexisting differences between the groups.

The Non-Equivalent Comparison Group Design Is a Quasi-Experimental Design in Which