UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Experimental research aims to establish cause effect relationships by deliberately changing one variable and observing its effect on another. The researcher manipulates the independent variable while controlling or holding constant other variables that could influence the outcome. This control allows more confident inferences about causality. Thus, manipulation and control are central to experimental design.

Option A:
Option A involves secondary data analysis, which can be part of non experimental or correlational studies but does not by itself define experimentation.

Option B:
Option B correctly identifies the two core requirements: manipulation of an independent variable and control of extraneous factors. Without these, it is difficult to attribute observed changes in the dependent variable to the experimental treatment. Therefore, this feature is essential.

Option C:
Option C describes descriptive research, which observes and records phenomena without intervention. It does not satisfy the requirements of experimental design.

Option D:
Option D refers to large sample selection, which may be useful but is neither necessary nor sufficient for an experiment. Many experiments use relatively small samples yet retain strong internal validity.

The control group is included in an experiment to provide a baseline against which the effects of the experimental treatment can be judged. It either receives no treatment or a standard condition, while the experimental group receives the new or varied treatment. Any differences in outcomes between the groups can then be attributed more confidently to the manipulation of the independent variable. Thus, the group described in the stem is correctly called the control group.

Option A:
Control groups help isolate the effect of the independent variable by holding all other conditions as constant as possible. They strengthen internal validity by allowing researchers to rule out alternative explanations such as maturation or history. This critical comparison role matches the definition given in the question.

Option B:
The experimental group is the set of participants that receives the treatment or intervention under investigation. It does not serve as the baseline but rather as the group whose outcomes are compared with those of the control group. Hence, experimental group is not the correct completion.

Option C:
Random group is not a standard term in experimental design; randomness refers instead to the method of assigning participants to groups. While random assignment is important, it does not name the specific group that receives no or standard treatment. Therefore, random group is inappropriate here.

Option D:
A matched group refers to participants paired or grouped based on similar characteristics to control for confounding variables, but such groups may still be either experimental or control groups. The term does not by itself identify the no-treatment comparison group described in the stem.

Experimental research aims to determine whether changes in one variable cause changes in another. This requires deliberate manipulation of the independent variable and control over other factors that might influence the outcome. By holding extraneous variables constant or randomizing them, the researcher can attribute observed differences in the dependent variable more confidently to the treatment.

Option A:
Option A describes qualitative interviewing, which is useful for exploration but does not by itself establish causality through controlled manipulation.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it combines the two essential ingredients of true experimentation: manipulation and control. Without these, causal claims remain weak or speculative.

Option C:
Option C refers to biased selection of participants, which can threaten internal validity and does not help in establishing causal relationships.

Option D:
Option D mentions very small samples and lack of control group, both of which weaken the ability to infer causality and generalize findings.

The pretest–posttest control group design involves randomly assigning participants to at least two groups, administering a pretest to both, applying the treatment only to the experimental group and then giving a post-test to both groups. This structure allows the researcher to compare changes over time while controlling for initial differences between groups. Random assignment enhances internal validity by balancing extraneous variables across groups. Thus, the design described in the stem is known as the pretest–posttest control group design.

Option A:
One-shot case study design exposes a single group to a treatment and then administers a post-test without any pretest or control group. Because it lacks both random assignment and a comparison group, it provides very weak evidence about treatment effects. This design is quite different from the one in the stem, which explicitly mentions both pretests and control groups.

Option B:
Static group comparison design includes an experimental group that receives treatment and a non-equivalent control group that does not, with only post-test observations and no random assignment. Without pretests and randomisation, this design cannot control for initial group differences. Therefore, static group comparison does not match the detailed description in the question.

Option C:
Pretest–posttest control group design combines random assignment, pretesting and post-testing for both experimental and control groups. This arrangement helps isolate the effect of the treatment by comparing changes in the two groups. Since the stem outlines all these components, this option correctly names the design.

Option D:
Single-subject design focuses on repeated measures of a single participant or a small number of participants over time, often using AB or ABA patterns. It does not usually involve random assignment to separate experimental and control groups with group-based pretests and post-tests. Hence, single-subject design is not the appropriate label here.

Statements A, B, C and D together describe core characteristics of experimental research. Manipulating independent variables, using control groups, assigning participants randomly and conducting experiments in both laboratory and field contexts are all standard features. Statement E is false because extraneous variables should be controlled or monitored, not ignored, to maintain internal validity. Therefore the correct combination includes A, B, C and D and excludes E.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits D, thereby failing to acknowledge that experiments need not be confined to laboratories. Field experiments are frequently used in educational and social settings, so leaving out D underrepresents the range of experimental contexts.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it includes all four true statements and omits E, which advises an obviously flawed practice of ignoring extraneous variables. The option reflects the importance of both design and control in experimental work.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes E, the statement suggesting that extraneous variables may be ignored, which would seriously threaten internal validity. Even though B, C and D are true, the presence of E makes the combination unsuitable.

Option D:
Option D is wrong because it similarly incorporates E and omits B, leaving out the essential comparison role of control groups. Without acknowledging control groups, the design description is incomplete.

A control group provides a baseline against which the effects of the experimental treatment can be compared. By keeping conditions for this group similar to those of the experimental group except for the treatment, researchers can attribute observed differences in outcomes more confidently to the intervention itself. Control groups are central to establishing internal validity in experimental designs. Thus, the group described in the stem is correctly called a control group.

Option A:
Control groups may receive no treatment, standard treatment or a placebo, depending on the study, but their key role is to mirror the experimental conditions minus the active ingredient being tested. This comparative function aligns exactly with the stem, making this option correct.

Option B:
A placebo group receives an inert or sham treatment and is one specific type of control group, particularly in clinical trials, but the more general term used in basic experimental design is control.

Option C:
Random describes a procedure for assignment or selection, not a type of group, so it does not fit the blank, which asks about the role of a group.

Option D:
Matched groups are formed by pairing participants on key variables before assigning them to conditions, which is a method of forming comparable groups but not the standard name of the comparison group itself.

Statements A, B, D and E are correct comparisons of true and quasi-experimental designs, whereas C is false. True experiments rely on random assignment, while quasi-experiments use existing groups and often try to approximate equivalence through techniques like matching. Both types involve interventions, but quasi-experiments are often more feasible in real educational contexts where randomisation is difficult. A single-group pre-test–post-test design without a control group lacks the control and random assignment of true experiments, so C is incorrect.

Option A:
Option A omits E, ignoring the practical point that quasi-experimental designs are frequently used in educational settings because of feasibility constraints. Without acknowledging feasibility, the comparison remains incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it captures random assignment in true experiments, the presence of treatment in quasi-experiments, the use of matching and the practical feasibility advantage of quasi-experiments, while excluding C, which mislabels a weak design as “true experimental”.

Option C:
Option C wrongly includes C and omits B, thereby accepting an incorrect classification of the single-group design and ignoring the correct definition of quasi-experiments. This combination misrepresents basic design distinctions.

Option D:
Option D includes only B, D and E and leaves out A, so it fails to state explicitly that random assignment is the hallmark of true experiments. As a result, the explanation of true experimental features is incomplete.

Option E accepts C, which is false, and omits D, which correctly describes matching as a quasi-experimental strategy. Consequently, this option mixes errors with omissions and cannot be considered correct.