Experimental design Flashcards
What is a method
A way to collect data, e.g, experiment, survey or case study
What are independent groups?
Two separate groups are involved and each group does one condition of the experiment
What are repeated measures?
All participants take part in all conditions of the experiment.
What is matched pairs?
Participants are matched on some variable that is important to the experiment and then one of each pair is allocated to a different condition
What are the strengths of independent groups?
No order effects, low chance of demand characteristics and relatively cheap and easy
What are limitations of independent groups?
Individual differences (participant variables) are confounding variables
How do you deal with the limitations of independent groups?
Random allocation to conditions and single/double blind trials
What are strengths of repeated measures?
No impact from individual differences and fewer participants needed
What are limitations of repeated measures?
Order effects and high risk of demand characteristics
How do you deal with limitations of repeated measures?
Counterbalancing and randomisation of stimulus
What are strengths of matched pairs?
No order effects, low chance of demand characteristics and individual differences are controlled
What are limitations of matched pairs?
Perfect matching is impossible and is expensive and time consuming
How do you deal with limitations of matched pairs design?
Random allocation of matched pairs to the conditions
What is random allocation?
An attempt to evenly distribute participant differences across experimental conditions in an independent groups design
What is counterbalancing?
An attempt to control for order effects in a repeated measures design where half the participants do the conditions in one order and the other half in the opposite order
