Methods of Research

(Part II: Experimental Method)

Albert C. Albina, PhD

 ethnographic

qualitative phenomenological
methods
historical
Methods of
Research
quantitative descriptive
methods experimental
THE LAW OF ATTRACTION: POSITIVE THINKING AND
LEVEL OF GRATITUDE TOWARDS HAPPINESS
1. What is the demographic profile of the participants as to:
1.1. sex;
1.2. age;
1.3. marital status;
1.4. educational attainment;
1.5. years of teaching;
1.6. academic rank; and
1.7. income?
2. What is the level of gratitude and happiness of the
participants before the introduction of the Law of
Attraction’s 28 practical steps to harness positive thinking
and gratitude in the areas of gratitude and happiness?

3. What is the level of gratitude and happiness of the

participants after the introduction of the Law of Attraction’s
28 steps in the areas of:
3.1.a. gratitude (immediately after the training);
3.1.b. happiness (immediately after the training);
3.2.a. gratitude (one month after the training);
3.2.b. happiness (one month after the training);
3.3.a. gratitude (two months after the training); and
3.3.b. happiness (two months after the training)?
4. Is there a significant difference in the level of gratitude
and happiness between the experimental group and control
group during the pre-test and three post-tests?

5. Is there is a significant relationship between the

demographic profile of the participants/respondents and
their level of gratitude and happiness?
 Data Analysis Procedure
• In analyzing the data gathered, the following statistical tools were used:
percentage, weighted mean, analysis of variance and t test.
• Percentage was used in presenting the data pertaining to the
respondents’ demographic profile as well as of their level of gratitude
and happiness in a tabular format.
• Weighted mean was utilized in determining the extent of the
respondents’ gratitude and happiness in a scale of 1 to 6 with the former
being the least and the latter being most.
• Analysis of variance or ANOVA was also used in order to address the
question on whether or not a significant difference exists between the
level of gratitude and happiness of the experimental and control groups
during the pretest and posttests. ANOVA was necessary even though
there were only two groups being compared since there were three
posttests being conducted to each group.
• Moreover, t test was employed as a follow test to ascertain which 2 of
the 3 posttests of the experimental group in the happiness test
significantly differ.
 Experimental Method

• The experimental method ushers new terms and

“participants” in the process per se, for it introduces
“controlled” and “experimental” variables, whether quasi
or true experimental designs.

• In general, experimental designs are solitary designs for it

cannot serve as a composite method or collaborative
method with other methods.
• The experimental method is viewed as a method with the
most utilitarian and most prestigious and most
sophisticated method in a sense that it always brings to
the fore important new knowledge and ushers advanced
information, especially where quality of life is concerned.

• It is cause-and-effect and uses sophisticated statistical

techniques.
 Characteristics of Experimental Method
1. It has two important and necessary “actors”: the controlled
and the experimental variables.
2. The experimental variable is manipulated or applied with
treatment or intervention, while the controlled is held
constant.
3. The “effects” of the treatment or intervention being applied
on the experimental variable is measured.
4. Experimental designs are usually numeric and caters to
sophisticated statistical design.
5. Usually, experimental designs are limited to small samples.
6. Experimental designs are labor intensive since it is done in
the laboratory.
 Characteristics
of True Experimental Designs
• Manipulation
• Control
• Randomization
Manipulation

• The researcher does something to the subjects in the study.

• There is the presence of an experimental variable which is

introduced in the experiment and its effects are determined.

• Some variables in the experiment may not be manipulated,

such as sex, socio-economic status, age, mental ability, etc.
These are non-manipulative variables.
Control
• The researcher is able to control one or more variables.

• Generally, in an experiment, these are the control and

experimental groups which are placed initially alike at the
start of the experiment.

• Example 1: Suppose you are experimenting on the effects

of feedback on science achievement. Suppose that one
group is given extra teaching of the lesson covered in the
experiment. Control here is necessary because the
objective of the experiment is to determine which of the two
treatments is effective.
• Example 2: Suppose an agriculturist would like to
determine if a type of soil cultivation will affect the number
of fruit a certain tree will have. He will use an experimental
method with the following variables:

independent variable – type of cultivation

dependent variable – number of fruits
Randomization

• In experimental method, the researcher assigns subjects for

the control group and the experimental group, the latter
using the experimental variable.

• The experimental variable is randomly applied to the

experimental group. The researcher should be as
objective as possible, assigning as well the different
subjects without personal bias.
 Different Experimental Designs
A. Pre-Experimental Designs
1. The One-Shot Case Study
2. The Single Group Pre and Post-Test Design
3. The Static Group Comparison
4. The Parallel-Equated Two Group Design
B. True Experimental Designs
1. The Pre and Post-Test Control Group
2. The Solomon Four-Group Design
3. The Post-test-only Control Group Design
C. Quasi Experimental Designs
1. The Time-Series Experiment
2. Counterbalance Designs
A. Pre-Experimental Designs

1. The One-Shot Case Study

• The One-Shot Case Method considers only one group
exposed to the experimental variable.

• The One-Shot Case study consists of just one group which

is exposed to the treatment, and then given post-test. It is
devoid of controls.

• Example: When one wants to know the effectiveness of a

seminar, an examination is given.
2. The Single Group Pre and Post-Test Design

• The Pre- and Post-tests are the same and an increase of

measures in the Post-test signifies the effectiveness of the
experimental variable where the same participants (single
group) took the tests.

• Example: When giving a seminar, a pre- and post-test

design is tenable and the effectiveness of the
experimental variable can easily be made.
3. The Static Group Comparison

• This is a design in which a group which has experienced a

treatment or intervention is compared with other group
which has no experience and knowledge of the treatment
or intervention for the purpose of establishing the effects of
the treatment or intervention.

• Two groups; post-test only

4. The Parallel-Equated Two Group Design

• This design involves two groups: the experimental and

control groups.
• The two groups must initially be the same or alike at the
beginning of the experiment.
• The control variables may be sex, age, etc., which
should also be equal, as another control variable.
Experimental Group Control group
Pre-test x1 x2
The Treatment/Intervention No Treatment/Intervention
Post-test x3 x4
 Experimental Group Control group

Pre-test x1 x2

The Treatment/Intervention No Treatment/Intervention

Post-test x3 x4

• 4 pairs of tests to be tested:

1. x1 and x2
2. x1 and x3
3. x2 and x4
4. x3 and x4

• If the result of the 4th test is significant in favor of the

experimental group, then the experimental variable is better
and more effective, otherwise it is not.
B. True Experimental Designs

1. The Pre-test and Post-test Control Group

• This design involves 2 groups, both of which are formed by

random assignment.

• Both groups are pre-tested and post-tested, but only one

group is given the experimental treatment.
2. The Solomon Four-Group Design

• This design has the highest prestige since it has the

greatest validity.

• It is the extension of the pre-test and post-test control group

design. There are 4 groups in this design.
R O (1) x O (2)
R O (3) O (4)
R x O (5)
R O (6)

Where:
R = random assignment
O (1) = experimental pre-test
O (2) = control pre-test
O (3) = experimental post-test
O (4) = control post-test
x = treatment
O (5) = experimental post-test
O (6) = control post-test
3. The Post-test-Only Control Group Design
• In this design, there are 2 groups, one of them receiving
the experimental treatment; both are post-tested, but are
not pre-tested.
• This is the illustration:
R x O (1)
R O (2)

Where:
R = random treatment
x = treatment
O (1) = experimental post-test
O (2) = control post-test
C. Quasi-Experimental Designs

1. The Time-Series Experiment

• The time-series design is an elaboration of the one-group
pre-test-post-test design involving just one group. It pre-
tested 4 times, and then the same is post-tested 4
times.

• Multi-testing ensures the internal validity of data.

• History will be a problem since something untoward may

happen between the first and last testing which may affect
the dependent variable.
O1 O2 O3 O4 x O5 O6 O7 O8
Where:
O1 – 4 = experimental pre-tests
O5 – 8 = experimental post-tests
X = treatment / intervention

Variation:

O1 O2 O3 O4 x O5 O6 O7 O8
O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 O6 O7 O8
2. Counterbalance Design
• This counterbalance design is an experimental design in
which the experimental treatments are arranged in a
different sequence, in a rotation method, in a
counterbalanced method, and ends in what is called the
Latin Square Arrangement, consisting more often 4
methods in a virtual matrix form.
Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 Time 4

Group A X1 O X2 O X3 O X4 O

Group B X2 O X4 O X1 O X3 O

Group C X3 O X1 O X4 O X2 O

Group D X4 O X3 O X2 O X1 O
3. The Non-equivalent Control Group Design

• This design is considered as one of the most widely used in

educational research.

• Consisting of two groups, the design gives pre-test and

post-test to each group, but only one gets the
treatment.

• There is no randomization done.

 Different Experimental Designs
A. Pre-Experimental Designs
1. The One-Shot Case Study
2. The Single Group Pre and Post-Test Design
3. The Static Group Comparison
4. The Parallel-Equated Two Group Design
B. True Experimental Designs
1. The Pre and Post-Test Control Group
2. The Solomon Four-Group Design
3. The Post-test-only Control Group Design
C. Quasi Experimental Designs
1. The Time-Series Experiment
2. Counterbalance Designs