Experimenal design

Question 1

What are the experimental designs?

Answer 1

Independent groups, repeated measures and matched pairs

Question 2

What is independent groups?

Answer 2

When two separate groups of participants experience two different conditions of the experiment

Question 3

What is repeated measures design?

Answer 3

All participants experience both conditions of the experiment

Question 4

What is matched pairs design?

Answer 4

Participants are paired together on a variable or variables relevant to the experiment, and one participant from each pair would be allocated to a different condition of the experiment

Question 5

What are the strengths of independent groups design?

Answer 5

• Order effects may be a problem

- Less likely that demand characteristics will happen

Question 6

What are the limitations of independent groups design?

Answer 6

• Individual differences may become a confounding variable (fixed my random allocation)
• Less economical as twice as many participants are needed compared to repeated measures

Question 7

What are the strengths of repeated measures design?

Answer 7

• Participant variables are eliminated

- More economical as less participants are needed

Question 8

What are the limitations of repeated measures design?

Answer 8

• Order effects may become a confounding variable (counterbalancing is used to fix this)
• Demand characteristics may become a problem

Question 9

What are the strengths of matched pairs design?

Answer 9

Order effects and demand characteristics are less of a problem

Question 10

What are the limitations of matched pairs design?

Answer 10

• Participants can never be matched exactly

- Time consuming, expensive and less economical

Question 11

What are the controls for experimental designs?

Answer 11

Random allocation and counter balancing

Question 12

When is random allocation used?

Answer 12

In attempt to control for participant variables in an independent groups design

Question 13

What does random allocation do?

Answer 13

It ensures that each participant has the same choice of being in one condition or the other, it attempts to evenly distribute participant characteristics across the conditions of the experiment by using random techniques

Question 14

When is counterbalacing used?

Answer 14

As an attempt to control for the order effects in a repeated measures design

Question 15

What is counterbalancing?

Answer 15

Half the participants experience the conditions in one order, and the other half are in the opposite order