Quasi Experimental Study, Essay Example

What were the weaknesses of this quasi-experimental study.

In my opinion, the measurement of attitudes before and immediately after the participation in training related to sexual violence reduction do not fully reflect the future outcomes of the program. As the authors (Banyard et al., 2009, p. 453) state, the main procedure involved in the research was to complete “pretest and posttest questionnaires immediately before and after the 90-minute Bringing in the Bystander program. Focusing on attitudes,  and not outcomes, the main weakness of the quasi-experimental study is that it does not prove that the situational behavior of trained leaders will change. Quasi experimental designs are useful when trying to measure the impact of an independent variable (participation in the training), however, they are usually not randomized  (only student leaders were selected).

Do you agree that the results of this article are promising? Explain why.

Given the literature review completed prior to research, there is a positive correlation between participant behavior and action-taking behavior and the training programs. Therefore, the change in attitudes towards sexual violence is likely to result in a higher engagement in preventing and stopping sexual violence, supporting peers, and developing skills to intervene. The t-test used shows correlations between attitudes and participation in the training. While attitude changes were limited to a few points, they were consistent across the population. The results are promising, and prove that the program is effective in changing individuals’ attitude towards sexual violence. However, further studies need to be completed in order to determine whether the attitude change that is the result of training increases the number of interventions and prevention activities among trained college students.

How would you determine if there is a problem of sexual violence at our College?

At our college, people live close to each other, and different peer groups are already formed. In order to ensure that reporting rates are increased, I would use an online anonymous reporting system that  guarantees victims and witnesses anonymity. This way, the results of the research would not be hindered by external factors, such as fear of revenge or shame.