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• laboratory experiment


  true experiment where an IV is manipulated and that takes place in a controlled, artificial setting - not necessarily a lab.
• field experiment

  true experiment where an IV is manipulated and that takes place in a natural real life setting.
• natural experiment


  Not a true experiment. The IV has changed, but this would have happened without the researcher, it is taking advantage of events that have occurred.
• quasi-experiment


  Not a true experiment, in which the IV cannot be manipulated - it just exists.
• Independant groups design


  design where each participant takes part in only one condition of the IV. Participants are randomly assigned to conditions to control participant variables.
• repeated measures design

  design where all participants take part in both conditions of the IV. Participant variables are fully controlled.
• Matched pairs design


  A design where participants take part in one condition only but matched with those in the other condition on certain participant variables.
• Order effects


  In a repeated measures design, a confounding variable arising from the order in which conditions are presented.
• Counterbalancing

  Steps which are taken to ensure that order effects do not influence the results - making sure the order of tasks is varied across participants. Also known as ABBA.
• Cause and effect

  if x then y. true experiments are able to show cause and effect because an IV is manipulated and a DV is measured, so the manipulation of the IV causes the results measured in the DV.