Experimental Desighns

Question 1

What is a strength of using a reapeated measures design

Answer 1

Same child so no participant variables

Question 2

What is a repeated measure

Answer 2

Participant takes part in both conditions of the experiment

Question 3

Outline 2 weaknesses of experimental method

Answer 3

Highly controlled in lab so lacks ecological validity

Demand characteristics

Question 4

Outline two weaknesses of an independent measures design

Answer 4

Participant variables (individual differences) distort results

More participants needed = less ethical, harder to find, time consuming

Question 5

Outline 2 ways that an independent measures design could affect validity of this study.

The study :
Memory can be influenced by many different things. However, there are techniques which we can use to improve our memory. One such technique involves reading aloud the information we want to remember. A psychologist investigated this by giving participants a set of 30 words to try and remember. Six participants studied the words in silence. A different group of six participants were instructed to read the words aloud when trying to learn them. The data collected is presented in the table below.

Answer 5

Answers could include:
• No order effects from having already studied words in previous condition, so increased validity.

• Individual differences in memory may have influenced the findings irrespective of learning condition (reading aloud vs silent), so decreased validity.

. Can keep the learning material (words) the same in each condition, so words in one condition are not easier or harder to remember than others, so increased internal validity.