quasi-experimental design

an experimental design in which assignment of participants to an experimental group or to a control group cannot be made at random for either practical or ethical reasons; this is usually the case in field research. Assignment of participants to conditions is usually based on self-selection (e.g., employees who have chosen to work at a particular plant) or selection by an administrator (e.g., children are assigned to particular classrooms by a superintendent of schools). Such designs introduce a set of assumptions or threats to internal validity that must be acknowledged by the researcher when interpreting study findings. A study using this design is called a quasi-experiment. Examples include studies that investigate the responses of large groups to natural disasters or widespread changes in social policy.

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Psychology term of the day

November 23rd 2024

religious delusion

any delusion associated with religious beliefs and grandiose ideas with religious content. Delusional ideation frequently includes beliefs that the individual is the embodiment of a notable religious figure, such as a messiah or prophet, and that he or she possesses special powers, such as the ability to cure all illness. Such beliefs may be a feature of grandiose-type delusional disorder.