Random allocation

• How: Random allocation happens by splitting the number of your participants in half and randomly assign them a condition. If there are "20" participants then you put "10" pieces of paper with the letter A into a hat and "10" pieces of paper with the letter B in the hat. There should be an equal number of letters A and B. All participants should pick out a piece of paper from the hat. Participants with A are then placed in "condition 1" and participants with B are in "condition 2". This is repeated until the desired number "" of participants in each condition is met.
• Why: Random allocation is using chance to allocate participants to different conditions. It is generally used in independent groups to avoid similar participants all being allocated to the same condition e.g. all students with a 9 in GCSE maths in one condition
• How: Random allocation with matched pair design, works by having the researcher flip a coin for "every pair" to determine which person from each pair ends up in "condition A or B". Who ever wins the coin toss goes to "condition A" whoever loses goes to "condition B"