research #2

• Experimental Design - A blueprint of the procedure that enables the researcher to test his hypothesis by reaching valid conclusions about relationships between independent and dependent variables. It refers to the conceptual framework within which the experiment is conducted
• Steps involved in conducting an experimental study

  1. Identify and define the problem
  2. formulate hypothesis and deduce their consequences
  3. Construct an experimental design that represents all the elements, conditions, and relations of the consequences/
  4. conduct an experiment
  5. Compile raw data and reduce to usable form
  6. Apply an appropriate test of significance
• Typesb Of Experiment

  1. Pilot Experiment
  2. Exploratory Experiments
  3. Confirmatory Experiments
  4. Laboratory Experiments
  5. Field Experiments
  6. Natural/Quasi Experiement
  7. True Experiments
  8. Single-Subject experiements
• Quasi-Experimental Design - Not randomly selected
• Correlational : Researchers want to know if there is a relationship between the number of science courses students take and score on the National Assessment of Educational Progress science test
• Ecological Validity - The degree to which an investigation represents real-life experiences
• Experimenter Effects - These are the ways that the experimenter can accidentally influence the participant through their appearance or behaviour
• Demand Characteristics - THe clues in an experiment that lead the participants to think they know what the research is looking for
• Extraneous Variables - All variables, which are not the independent variable, but could affect the results
• Cofounding Variables - That have affected the results, apart from the independent variable. A confounding variable could be an extraneous variable that has not been controlled
• Exploratory Experiments - Can be used to generate data with which to develop hypotheses for future testing.
• Confirmatory Experiments - Are used to test some relativity simple hypotheses stated a priori.
• Laboratory Experiment - Usually carried out in an artificial situation, the researcher attempts to control for as many confounding variables by using standardised procedures.
• Field Experiment - The researcher attempts to deliberately manipulate the independent variable, but does so in the participants own environment
• Natural/Quasi Experiment - The researcher records the effect of the independent variable, which is changed by natural occurrences, on the dependent variable
• Quasi = Seeming, resembles
• True Experiment - subjects are randomly assigned to the treatment conditions. The only differences in the groups would be due to chance
• Single-Subject experiments - involves a single case studied over a longer period of time. One individual or situation es exposed to the varying levels of the independent variable.
• Experimental Research - An attempt by the researcher to maintain control over all factors that may affect the result of an experiment. In doing this, the researcher attempts to determine or predict what may accour
• Experimental Design - A blueprint of the procedure that enables the researcher to test his hypothesis by reaching valid conclusions about relationships between independent and dependent variable.
• Experimental control - Attempts to predict events that will occur in the experimental setting by neutralizing the effects of other factors
• Selective Control - manipulate indirectly by selecting in or out variables that cannot be controlled
• Statistical Control - Variables not conductive to physical or selective manipulation may be controlled by statistical techniques
• Internal Validity - Asks did the experimental treatment make the difference in this specific instance rather than other extraneous variables
• External Validity - Asks to what populations, settings, treatment variables, and measurement variables can this observed effect be generalized
• history - The events occuring between the first and second measurements
• maturation - The process of maturing which takes place in the individual during the duration of the experiment
• Pre-testing - the effect created on the second measurement by having a measurement before the experiment
• Measuring Instrument - Changes in instruments, calibration of instruments, observers, or scorers may cause changes in the measurement
• Statistical Regression - Groups are chosen because of the extreme scores of measurements; those scores or measurements tend to move toward the mean with repeated measurements even without an experimental variable
• Differential Selection - Different individuals or groups would have different previous knowledge or ability which would affect the final measurement if not taken into accout
• Experimental Mortality - The loss of subjects from comparison groups
• Interaction of Factos - Such as Selection Maturation, etc. - Combinations of these factors may interact especially in multiple group comparisons to produce erroneous measurements
• Pre-test - Individuals who were pretested might be less or more sensitive to the experimental variable or might have "Learned" from the pre-test making them unrepresentative of the population who had not been pretested
• Differential Selection - The seletion of the subjects determines how the findings can be generalized.
• Experimental Procedures - The experimental procedures and arrangements have a certain amount of effect on the subjects in the experimental settings.
• Multiple treatment interference - if the subjects are exposed to more than one treatment then the findings could only be generalized to individuals exposed to the same treatments in the same order of presentation
• Control Group - The use of a matched or similar group which is not exposed to the experimental variable can help reduce the effect of history, Maturation, Instrumentation and Interaction of Facots
• Randomization - Use of random selection procedures for subjects can aid in control of Statistical Regression, Differential Selection, and the interaction of facots.
• Additional Groups - The effects of Pre-tests and experimental Procedures can be partially controlled through the use of groups which were not pre-tested or exposed to experimental arrangements.