Abstract
The benefits and costs of control groups shift as research is moved from laboratory to field settings. In field research, experimental and control groups are more likely to differ systematically on important dimensions other than independent variables. Comparisons between groups may not yield the unbiased estimates of impact that accompany controlled laboratory research. At the same time, logistic considerations affect the cost of each observation more dramatically in field settings than in a laboratory. If gathering control group information requires additional data collection sites, costs of individual control observations may be significantly higher than costs of additional experimental group observations. Possibilities of nonequivalence and of increased costs suggest a need for unbiased research designs that do not require control groups. This chapter (1) briefly reviews problems using control groups in field research, (2) describes a research design that has the potential for providing unbiased estimates of impact without use of a control group, and (3) illustrates the use of the design with a study of a responsible alcohol-use media campaign.
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McKillip, J. (1992). Research without Control Groups. In: Bryant, F.B., et al. Methodological Issues in Applied Social Psychology. Social Psychological Applications to Social Issues, vol 2. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2308-0_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2308-0_8
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