Quasi and Experimental Methods
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Experimental methods
Experimental methods involve controlling the constant variable, the independent variable, and validates if it affects the dependent variables. (Gravetter.& Forzano, 2018). A study to determine whether diabetes is more in blacks than whites, the independent variable is black and white, while the dependent variable is diabetes. Experimental research is divided into three categories that are the Pre, True, and Quasi-experimental research methods. Pre experimental research method involves monitoring of events and recording them. True experimental research encapsulates the controlling of independent variables. Quasi imply the controlling of predictor variables, while the participation for a group is not randomly assigned. (Gravetter & Forzano, 2018).
The key differences between experimental and quasi research methods are manipulating independent variables, random assignment, and validity. (Gravetter, & Forzano 2018). In an experimental research method, the independent variable is manipulated, whereas, in the Quasi method, it does not have complete control over the independent variable. The experimental method, variables are randomly assigned, thus eliminating the problem of confounding variables. While in quasi, variables are not randomly assigned, therefore not manipulating the confounding variable problem. The random assignment of variables in the experimental method gives it a higher degree of control over the variables while lacking on the quasi method.
A quasi-experimental method deals in the reality that is the naturally occurring events. It deals with clear or exploratory hypotheses while experimental deals in assessing events and their effects. The quasi-experimental group includes the comparison of non-equivalent groups, while the experimental includes comparisons of control groups. Since the unpredictable is controlled before the response variable is analyzed in quasi, it eliminates directory problems.
Quasi-experimental methods
In quasi research methods, an unpredictable variable is controlled, but contributors are evenly assigned to states or sequence of states. The quasi-experimental method allows more domination and transparency concerning the capability to distinguish a source and impact type of a relationship. (Reichardt, 2019). It has no dominion over the unpredictable variables or components of concern. Since independent variables are controlled before the response variable analyzation, quasi terminates the directivity variable problem. And since the contributors are evenly randomly allocated, puzzle factors are not terminated.
There are different quasi research methods: the non-equivalent, pretest-posttest, and interrupted time series designs. (Reichardt, 2019). In the non-equivalent group’s design, participants are not randomly assigned to conditions; thus, they apply to be dissimilar somehow. Pretest and posttest design, respondent variables are analyzed ahead once and afterwards solution is executed. Interrupted time series, is a variant of the post and pre variable designs. A good example of a quasi research method topic is teenage drug dependence in the USA.
Teenage drug dependence in the USA has been a major topic of concern over the years, especially in the 21st century. Most of the American teenagers between the age of twelve to seventeen years have been recorded to be the abuse’s main victims. With the age bracket targeting the 9th to 12th graders, drug abuse has affected many teenagers’ educational achievement. The most popularly abused drugs recorded are; THC, opioid, benzodiazepines, and marijuana. Most of the drugs abused in the United States are illicit and very destructive to the teenagers` immune system. Marijuana has been enlisted as the top commonly abused drug due to its availability in the market. (Hogans, B., 2017)
Marijuana has been extremely exploited, with many teenage consumers being Blacks and Hispanic than the whites. (Gauvin, Zimmermann, and Baird, 2016). The drug market for blacks and Hispanic is available due to their residential areas. Moreover, based on sex analysis, male teenagers are most likely to abuse drugs than female ones. The assumption is due to the adventures nature of the male domain and their creepiness nature. As compared to adults, teenagers abuse more drugs since they are in their adolescent stage and want to exploit and pop every single experience. Most teenagers also experience a lot of freedom since their parents are busy making an income giving them enough space to exploit their desires.
Students studying in public schools are also found to abuse more drugs than students in private schools. Rules and regulations in the private school are strict than those in the public sector resulting in the statistics. Moreover, the arrest of black drug abusers occurs more than white ones. Students from California are more abusers than those from the other states due to the decriminalization legislation that was formed in 2010.
Teenage drug abuse carries with it several impacts and risks, especially in their mental development. (Gauvin, Zimmermann, and Baird, 2016). Teenage who abuse both licit and illicit drugs were found to be less bright in class as compared to teenagers who do not. Lack of concentration and understanding comes with the abuse of drugs resulting in poor academic performances. Most recorded criminal records are like rape, murder, suicide, and theft were found in teenagers with drug abuse issues than those without. Most historical accidents in teenagers are drug abusers compared to non-abusers. House fires, bush burns, and destruction of electronic gadgets were most recorded teenagers abusing drugs than sober. The use of abusive languages, fights, and even bullying in schools was more on abusive drug teens than those who do not abuse drugs. Health-related issues such as cancer, blindness, diabetes, and liver cirrhosis were reported common in the teens abusing drugs and unplanned pregnancies. Drug abuse effects were found to be more in teenagers than adults.
The teenage drug abuse is a quasi-experimental research method since it contains both the dependent and independent variables. The dependent variables do not have full control over the independent variables. Whereas the independent variables have been manipulated, but the contributors are evenly allocated to the environment. In a situation where the blacks are arrested in possession of drugs compared to the whites, black and white are the independent variables. In contrast, the arrest is the dependent variable. The arrest due to drug possession will depend on whether you are black or white, and one has no control of being either white or black.
If public school students abuse drugs than private school individuals, one has no full control of either being in the public or private school. Moreover, a drug being abused will highly depend on whether one is in the private sector or the public. In the quasi-experimental research method, the unpredictable variable is controlled before the analyzation of the respondent variable. If the male mostly abuses the drug than the female, the independent variable is the male and the female; the drug abuse will depend on whether the abuser is male or female. Thus the abuser must be manipulated to consume more drugs for it to be abused.
Independent variables used in the research are age, schools, race, time, and health. Age involves teenagers and adults, whereas schools involve private and public institutions. The race involves black, white, and Hispanic. Whereas time involves the twenty-first century and health involves diabetes, cancer and liver cirrhosis. A quasi-experimental research method is a premium in comparative researches, mainly in the field sector. Drug abuse is, therefore, well-elaborated using the quasi-experimental research method since it brings out a comparison between the independent and the dependent variables.
References
Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L.-A. B. (2018). Research Methods. Cengage Learning.
Heath, W. (2018). Research Methods. Cambridge University Press.
Reichardt, C. S. (2019). Quasi-Experimentation. Guilford Publications.
Gauvin, D., Zimmermann, Z., and Baird, T., 2016. Drug Abuse. Journal of Drug Abuse, 02(01).
Hogans, B., 2017. Competence. Pain Medicine, 18(10), pp.1831-1833.