Experimental design Flashcards
What is independent group design?
An experimental design where the participants take part in only one condition of the experiment
Strength of independent group design
No order effects- no one gets better as a result of practice or gets worse through boredom/ tiredness
Saves time and effort
Demand characteristics are reduced
Limitations of independent group design
Participant variables- some people may be naturally better at the task
Number of participants is larger
What is repeated measure design?
An experimental design where the participants take part in all of the conditions
Strengths of repeated measures
Participant variables are more controlled
Fewer participants are needed
Limitations of repeated measures
Order effects- improvements could be due to practice
The cost of a loss of participants is greater
What is matched pairs?
An experimental design where participants in each condition of the experiment are matched accordingly to important variables
Strengths of matched pairs
No order effects- different people in different conditions
Participants variables are minimised
Limitations of matched pairs
A lot of participants are needed
Matching people can be difficult and time consuming
What is counter-balancing?
Mixing up the order of the tasks to avoid order effects
What is random allocation?
Everyone has an equal chance of being chosen for the condition e.g. by drawing names out of a hat
What is standardised instructions?
It should ensure the experimenters act in a similar way
What is randomisation?
When the material is presented in a random order avoiding order effects
What are the benefits of running a pilot study?
Problems can be solved before the main study which can be time consuming and cost money
Gives the researchers practice
