Comment #1 The major difference between experimental and nonexperimental  research designs is the manipulation of the independent variable(s).  Three main points characterize experimental research, including (1)  controlled manipulation of at least one independent variable

Comment #1

The major difference between experimental and nonexperimental  research designs is the manipulation of the independent variable(s).  Three main points characterize experimental research, including (1)  controlled manipulation of at least one independent variable; (2) a  treatment group and a control group; and (3) random assignment of the  participants to treatment or control group (Grove, Gray, & Burns,  2015). A common experimental research design used in studies in the  healthcare field is the pretest-posttest design with treatment and  control groups. An example of this would be to measure vital signs in  premature newborns before the intervention, skin-to-skin contact, is  applied and then measure them again during application of skin-to-skin  contact, also known as Kangaroo care. This type of study would enable  the researcher to evaluate if the independent variable, Kangaroo care,  affects vital signs, dependent variables, of the premature babies. In  experimental research, causality between independent and dependent  variables is studied under highly controlled conditions which makes  experimental research the “most powerful quantitative  method” (Grove, Gray, & Burns, 2015, p.34). As previously  stated, independent variable(s) are not controlled by the researcher  in nonexperimental studies. Correlational research is an example of  nonexperimental research design in which the researcher measures two  variables with little to no control of extraneous variables and the  relationship between these two variables is then analyzed (Price,  Jhangiani, & Chiang, n.d.).

Comment #2

Experimental research design is a study used to test cause and effect amongst variables. There are two groups associated with this research. One is the experimental  group and the other is the control group. The experimental group is given the controlled independent variable and the control group      is not. The study measures the difference between the groups.  This research can provide    strong evidence and is appropriate when a researcher has detailed    research.   Example of an  experimental group is  some   patients with Congestive Heart      Failure getting discharged on a continuing care program and some      CHF patients getting discharged without program. The study would      seek to see if a continuing care program with decrease the      occurrence of readmission.

In non-experimental    designs  the  emphasis  is on examining variables as      they naturally occur in  settings  and not on the implementation      of a treatment by the researcher. Some of these    nonexperimental  designs include a time      component (Groves,  Burns, and Grey. 2015).    Example  of a      non-experimental design  would be if employees would take      part in share a ride program if there was incentive    involved.

The experimental research design is based off investigator controlled manipulation. Non- experimental research design lacks the manipulation and is studied      as they naturally occur in the setting.