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In order to find out how much alcohol is consumed by residents of a small town, a researcher prepares a brief survey and then obtains a random sample of 30 households from the telephone book. He goes to each household and personally interviews the first adult who answers the door. Questions include how much the person drinks each week, whether the person drinks alone, etc.
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To improve the morale of inmates in a federal prison the warden implements a new program of "group dynamics." The program is accompanied by much publicity; thus, the inmates know the details regarding program costs and the amount of time spent by prison officials in implementing the program. An analysis of results shows that the program worked to lift inmate morale.
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A nonequivalent control group design is used in a study comparing two different teaching methods. One method is used at School A, and the other method is used at School B. During the course of the study, the principal at School B is fired and replaced by a new principal.
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Children recently enrolled at a nursery school are having trouble adjusting to the teacher and the scheduled activities. The head teacher designs a program of storytelling intended to help them adjust. Four weeks later, observations are made and the children are found to be better adjusted than they were before the program began.
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A researcher uses a simple interrupted time-series design to assess the effect of a college energy conservation program. Amount of energy use is determined from archival sources for nine months prior to the program (September-May) and for three months following the start of the program (June-August). There is a definite discontinuity in the time series showing a decrease in energy use at about the time when the program was initiated.
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A researcher randomly assigns workers in a factory to two different groups. The workers in one group are given bonuses for particularly good production; workers in the other group do not receive extra compensation. Workers in the no-bonus group find out that other workers are receiving extra pay for the same work that they are doing.
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A clinical psychologist conducts a study to evaluate the effects of a program aimed at increasing patients' compliance with rules in an inpatient facility for the mentally disabled. The psychologist designs the program herself and she personally selects the 10 individuals who will participate. She guides them through 10 sessions. Based on the psychologist's observations made before and after the treatment, she concludes that her program is very effective.
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An educational psychologist designs a demanding but fair spelling test that can be administered to grade school children. The test is found to be valid and reliable. A researcher selects the test to help evaluate a "cognitive" approach to teaching spelling. A fifth-grade class is tested prior to being taught the new method and then again after the new method is taught. The children show improvement on their spelling scores from the first to the second test administration, suggesting that the program was effective in helping children to learn to spell.
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All students planning to enroll in a small Midwest college take math aptitude tests prior to registration for classes. Students scoring the lowest are selected for a 1-week math enrichment program to be taken prior to registration for classes. Following participation, students are tested again. Scores on the math aptitude test following the enrichment program show that students have improved. Credit for this change is given to the program.
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A large company hires a social scientist to assess the effect of an employee-training program. Volunteers are sought from the employees and a modest bonus offered for participation. Thirty-six employees agree to participate and are randomly assigned to the program condition (n = 18) or to a waiting list control group (n = 18). The employees on the waiting list are scheduled to receive the training program following the first group's training; meanwhile, these employees serve as a control group for the group trained first. Training requires the employees to attend sessions after normal work hours and also to complete brief written assignments at home. Twelve of the employees finish the training program, and an analysis of appropriate job performance measures reveals that their scores are better than those of the employees in the control group.
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