Independent measures

• • partic placed separate (independent groups)
  • each group does one level of IV
• E.G.

  test the effect of caffeine on memory, 1 group partic is given coffee, another group isn't. They're both given the same list of words to recall
• Advantages


  • no order effects: partic only does one condition = performance less likely to improve due to practice/get worse due to boredom
  • demand characteristics: less likely to occur, partic less likely to guess aim as they only take part in one condition
• Disadvantages


  • partic variables: may differ between groups = become confounding if left uncontrolled
  • more partic needed = lower ecological validity
• Ways to deal with disadvantages

  • randomly allocate to conditions: even distribution of participant variables, done by names in hat being drawn so every other partic goes to condition 1/2