Certified Prevention Specialist CPS Practice Exam

Which term describes a research design that has some characteristics of an experimental design but lacks the possibility of random selection?

1. Capacity Building

2. Quasi-Experimental Design

3. Stakeholders

4. Survey

The correct answer is: Quasi-Experimental Design

The correct answer is Quasi-Experimental Design. This term refers to research approaches that aim to evaluate interventions or programs and bear similarities to true experimental designs, especially regarding outcomes and comparisons, but do not employ random assignment of participants to groups. This lack of random selection can mean that the groups may differ in other significant ways, potentially affecting the results. Quasi-experimental designs are often utilized in real-world settings where true randomization is impractical or unethical. They allow researchers to still draw meaningful conclusions about the impact of an intervention, even though they cannot fully control for all potential variables as a true experiment would. The other terms provided do not describe this particular situation. Capacity Building refers to efforts focused on developing the skills and abilities of individuals or organizations. Stakeholders represent individuals or groups who have an interest in the outcomes of a project or program but do not indicate a specific research design. A survey, meanwhile, is a method for collecting data but does not inherently suggest any experimental characteristics. Therefore, Quasi-Experimental Design is the term that best fits the definition given in the question.