Experimental designs/Pilot studies

• What design uses two separate groups of participants where each person only takes part in one condition?

  Independent Groups/Measures Design
• What design uses one group of participants who take part in all conditions of a study?

  Repeated Measures Design
• What design uses two groups where each person in one group is matched to someone in the other group?

  Matched Pairs Design
• Why should participants be randomly allocated to conditions in an experiment?

  To remove bias and investigator effects
• What is the purpose of counterbalancing in experimental design?

  To reduce order effects
• How are participants matched in a matched pairs design?

  Participants are matched on relevant traits before being randomly allocated to conditions
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Independent Groups/Measures Design?

  Strengths:

  • Order effects are avoided since participants only take part in one condition.
  • Fewer participants are required, minimizing the impact of participant variables.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Time-consuming since twice the number of participants need to be gathered compared to repeated measures.
  • A large number of participants means more participant variables can affect outcomes.

  
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Repeated Measures Design?

  Strengths:

  • Fewer participants are required, minimizing the impact of participant variables.
  • Each participant offers more than one piece of data, reducing loss of data from withdrawals.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Repeated use of participants can lead to order effects (e.g., tiredness, boredom, rehearsal).
  • Time-consuming and difficult to match participants on relevant traits.

  
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Matched Pairs Design?

  Strengths:

  • Participants are matched on relevant traits, minimizing participant variables.
  • Order effects are avoided since participants only take part in one condition.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Time-consuming since twice the number of participants need to be gathered compared to repeated measures.
  • It is a time-consuming and difficult process to match participants on relevant traits.

  
• What is a pilot study?

  A pilot study is a small-scale prototype of a study carried out before the full research.
• What is the purpose of conducting a pilot study?


  To find out if there are any problems before the full research.
• What are some questions that a pilot study aims to address?

  • Do the participants have enough time to complete the tasks?
  • Are the instructions clear?
  • Are the behavioral categories used accurate and relevant?
  • Are the tasks given to participants too easy/too hard?
  • Are the questions clear or ambiguous?

  
• What type of sample is used in a pilot study?

  A sample that is representative of the target population for the main research.
• What is the goal of a pilot study in research?


  To improve the validity of the research.