Experimental Designs

• What is experimental design?

  The organization of participants in experiments
• What does Independent Groups Design involve?

  Participants are allocated to different groups
• How are the performance of groups compared in Independent Groups Design?

  By comparing the performance of each group
• What are the strengths of Independent Groups Design?

  • Unaffected by order effects
  • Less likely to display demand characteristics
• What are the limitations of Independent Groups Design?

  • Cannot control participant variables
  • Requires more participants than repeated measures
• What is random allocation in experimental design?

  Ensuring each participant has equal chance in conditions
• What is the hat method used for?

  To randomly allocate participants to conditions
• What does Repeated Measures Design entail?

  All participants take part in all conditions
• How is performance compared in Repeated Measures Design?

  By comparing performance from both conditions
• What are the strengths of Repeated Measures Design?

  • Controls participant variables
  • Requires fewer participants than independent groups
• What are the limitations of Repeated Measures Design?

  • Participants may guess the study's aim
  • Order effects may influence performance
• What is the Practice Effect in Repeated Measures Design?

  Improvement due to familiarity with the test
• What is the Boredom Effect in Repeated Measures Design?

  Deterioration due to boredom with the test
• How can researchers avoid participants guessing the study's aims?

  By presenting a cover story about the test
• What is counterbalancing in experimental design?

  Half experience conditions in one order, half in another
• How can a practice effect be reduced in Repeated Measures Design?

  By using two different but similar tests
• What is Matched Pairs Design?

  Pairs matched on a variable affecting the dependent variable
• What are the strengths of Matched Pairs Design?

  • Unaffected by order effects
  • Less likely to display demand characteristics
• What are the limitations of Matched Pairs Design?

  • Participants can never be matched exactly
  • Matching is time-consuming and expensive
• How can researchers overcome the limitations of matching in Matched Pairs Design?

  By restricting the number of variables to match on
• What is the purpose of conducting a pilot study in Matched Pairs Design?

  To consider key variables for matching