What characteristic distinguishes the pretest-posttest control group design from the nonequivalent control group design?
A) Membership in the experimental and control groups is naturally assembled in the pretest-posttest control group design
B) Random assignment is not possible in the nonequivalent control group
C) No pretest is used in the nonequivalent control group design
D) One cannot determine which group was exposed to the treatment in the nonequivalent control group design
E) No posttest is used in the nonequivalent control group design

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The distinguishing characteristic of the pretest-posttest control group design is not random assignment (which is also present in the nonequivalent control group design), but rather the use of a pretest to establish baseline levels of the outcome variable. In contrast, the nonequivalent control group design does not use a pretest and relies on pre-existing groups that are not equivalent. However, random assignment is not possible in this design, which is the main distinguishing characteristic.

What Characteristic Distinguishes the Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design from the Nonequivalent