Research Topics:

Consumer Research

Industry/Market Focus:

Consumers

Content Type:

Glossary

After-Only With Control Group Definition

True experimental design involving the random assignment of subjects to experimental and control groups but no pre-measurement of the dependent variable.

Statisticians and social scientists rely on after-only with control group experimental design to study the impact of complex interventions or other treatments. As the name implies, the design is considered an experimental, or even quasi-experimental, approach. It involves evaluating the outcomes of an intervention group as compared to an isolated control group that did not receive the treatment. In this design, participants are not randomly assigned to groups. Rather, one group receives the intervention, while the other does not. The goal is to measure the impact of the intervention. By understanding the effectiveness of the intervention, policymakers and practitioners can make informed decisions to improve programs and policies. That can lead to more effective and evidence-based solutions.

Who relies on after-only with control group?

After-only with control group is used by researchers and practitioners in fields like social sciences, public policy and program evaluation. This study regularly is used when other methods, such as randomization, are difficult or not feasible. It also is used when the effects of interventions or treatments should be judged in real-world settings.

Why should I care about after-only with control group?

Because of the method’s value of studying and evaluating interviews in real-like conditions, anyone seeking to understand the impact of interventions or treatments should care about the after-only with control group design. This method allows researchers to make causal inferences and draw conclusions about the intervention's effects even when randomization is not possible.