ir. PANCHITO M.

LABAY
FORD Fellow, Professor 5

What are variables?

--building blocks of quantitative methods
--concepts that can be measured by indicators. Indicators can be numerical
values or categories
--can be unidimensional (e.g. age), multidimensional (e.g. intelligence) or
dichotomous (e.g. gender)
--can be dependent (DV) or effect or outcome variable and the other one is
independent (IV) or the causal variable
Ex. Some theorists found out that longevity can be
measured with the
following indicators: sex,
education, income, occupation, etc.
The latter
indicators are the independent variables or causal
variables, which can bring changes to longevity
(DV) or
outcome variable.

--can be mediating or intervening or go-between variable which affects the

test result of the dependent variable
Ex. Amount of studying (IV) leads to input of knowledge in
long-term memory
(mediating variable), which affects test
results (DV)
--can be moderator variable that affects the relationships between DV and IV
at different levels
Ex. The relationship between the amount of studying (IV) and
test results (DV)
changes at different levels with the use
of memory-enhancing drug (moderator)
--can be extraneous variable which compete with the independent variable
in explaining the outcome
--can be confounding variable if the extraneous variable is really proven as
the cause of the outcome

Major types are quantitative research

True experimental design

--randomisation of participants (subjects e.g. pupils) from a population
(e.g. Grade IV) to form the sample (N) for the experiment
--manipulation by having experimental groups and control or
comparison groups that the treatment will be applied
--random assignment of treatment to groups

Quasi-experimental design
--there is randomisation of participants from a population but
restricted to pre-assigned groups
--manipulation with the presence of control groups
--random assignment of treatment to groups when possible

Pre-experimental design
--no randomnisation of participants from a population
--presence of control group in some cases, but usually not
--no random assignment of treatment to groups

Example of Pre-experimental designs are some of the investigatory

projects in Science of the students. It may or may not have a control
group and no randomnisation of participants from a population.
Example: One-group pretest posttest design: Measuring the effectivity of
teaching method A in increasing the pupils level of understanding
concepts in science
1.

Advertises for volunteer or participants for the experiment or handpicks

students

2.

Administers a pretest to measure strength

3.

Exposes the subjects to the hypothesised teaching method that will

improve the students level of understanding

4.

Administers the posttest

Example of experimental design

Example: Pretest posttest control group design: Measuring the effectivity of
teaching method A in increasing the pupils level of understanding
concepts in science
Group 1 (Exptal group) Pretest

Treatment

Posttest

Group 2 (Control grp)

No-treatment

Posttest

Pretest

1.

Randomly assign the participants to the experimental or the control

groups

2.

Administers a pretest to each group on the dependent variable

3.

Apply the treatment to the experimental group (Group 1). In Group 2 what
can be applied is the traditional method

4.

Administers the posttest to both groups

Note: This design is not limited only to two groups

Example of experimental design using the Solomon four group design

Example: Pretest posttest control group design: Measuring the effectivity of
teaching method A in increasing the pupils level of understanding
concepts in science
Group 1 (Exptal group) Pretest

Treatment

Posttest

Group 2 (Control grp)

Pretest

No treatment

Posttest

Group 3 (Control grp)

No pretest

Treatment

Posttest

Group 4 (Control grp)

No pretest

No treatment

Posttest

1.

Randomly assign the participants to the experimental or the control

groups

2.

Administers a pretest to each group on the dependent variable

3.

Apply the treatment to the experimental group (Group 1). In Group 2 what
can be applied is the traditional method

4.

Administers the posttest to both groups

Quasi-Experimental Design
Nonequivalent Comparison-Group Design
This is a design that contains a treatment group and a nonequivalent untreated
comparison group about of which are administered pretest and posttest
measures. The groups are nonequivalent because you lack random
assignment. Because of the lack of random assignment, there is no assurance
that the groups are highly are similar at the outset of the study.
Because there is no random assignment to groups, confounding variables
(rather than the independent variable) may explain any difference observed
between the experimental and control groups.

Thank you again

folks!