one-group pretest–posttest design

a variation of the pretest–posttest design in which only a single set of participants is measured on a dependent variable of interest, exposed to a treatment or intervention, and then measured again to determine the change or difference between the initial (pre-) and second (post-) measurement. The lack of a control group in this type of research design makes it difficult to attribute gains in the posttest score to the intervention, as other elements (e.g., participant maturation) may have contributed to any change observed. Also called one-group pre–post design.

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Psychology term of the day

February 17th 2025

sexually dimorphic nucleus

a nucleus of the central nervous system that differs in size between males and females. In humans, for example, a nucleus in the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus that synthesizes gonadotropin-releasing hormone tends to be larger and more active in males than in females because gonadotropin release is continuous (it is cyclical in females). In songbirds whose males sing more than females, several brain nuclei associated with both song learning and song production are larger in males than in females.