EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS

• Experimental design


  How the participant sample is used in combination with the different levels of the independent variable (IV)
• Types of experimental design

  • Independent Groups design
  • Repeated Measures design
  • Matched Pairs design
• Independent Groups design


  • Participants only experience one condition of the IV
  • Generates unrelated data (because the two groups are separate to one another)
  • The performance of the group in condition 1 is compared to the performance of the group in condition 2
• Repeated Measures design


  • Participants experience all conditions of the IV
  • Generates related data (because the two scores come from the same participant)
  • Participants act as their own control group
• Matched Pairs design


  • Participants are assessed and matched on important characteristics
  • Generates related data
  • Helps factor out confounding variables