Which of the following is an advantage of a quasi-experiment?

In quasi-experimental designs, researchers often have less control over variables compared to true experiments and may not randomly assign participants to groups. However, one significant advantage of quasi-experiments is that they can reduce demand characteristics, which are cues that might influence participants to respond in a manner they think aligns with what the researcher expects.

Since participants in quasi-experiments may not be aware that they are part of a study in the same way they would be in a tightly controlled experimental setting, they might behave more naturally. This can produce data that reflects real-world behaviors more accurately, as participants are less likely to modify their behavior based on perceived expectations from the researchers.

This characteristic enhances the ecological validity of the findings, allowing researchers to observe how individuals behave in more naturalistic settings without the artificial influence that tightly controlled experiments can sometimes invoke. Thus, the reduction of demand characteristics is a clear advantage in many quasi-experimental contexts.