What is the difference between natural group design and matched group design?

Answer 1

Natural group designs: A type of independent groups design in which the conditions represent the selected levels of a naturally occurring independent variable, for example, the individual differences of variable age. Researchers use natural groups designs to meet the first two objectives of the scientific method: description and prediction.

· Individual differences (or subject variables) are selected rather than manipulated; represents a type of correlational research in which researches look for covariations between natural groups variables and dependent variables;

· Causal inferences cannot be made regarding the effects of natural groups variables because plausible alternative explanations for group differences exist.

Matched group designs:A type of independent groups design in which the researcher forms comparable groups by matching subjects on a pretest task and then randomly assigns the members of these matched sets of subjects to the conditions of the experiment. Matched group designs are a good alternative when neither the random groups design nor the repeated measures design can be used effectively.