Experimental design Flashcards

1
Q

What method is the best for identifying causal relationship?

A
  • experimental method

- where groups systematically differ by only one variable

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2
Q

What internal validity threats are there to an experimenter’s results?

A
  1. Time
  2. Group threats
  3. Participant reactivity threats
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3
Q

What are more specific time related internal validity threats?

A
  • history
  • maturation
  • Selection-maturation interaction
  • repeated-testing
  • instrument change
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4
Q

What are more specific Group related internal validity threats?

A
  • selection: initial non-equivalence of groups
  • regression to the mean
  • Differential mortality
  • Control group awareness of its status
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5
Q

What are more specific participant reactivity related internal validity threats?

A
  • experimenter effects
  • reactivity
  • evaluation apprehension
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6
Q

Explain how history can threaten internal validity

A
  • Extraneous events between pre-test and post-test affect ppt post test performance
    SO add control
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7
Q

What in internal validity?

A

Having confidence that the changes to the dependent variable IS DUE to the independent variable

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8
Q

Explain how maturation threatens internal validity

A
  • longitudinal experiment
  • ppt can change during the course of the study
  • so difference due to natural development/ things happening
    SO have a control at each developmental point + try and control the natural programs
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9
Q

Explain how selection-maturation interaction threatens internal validity

A
  • groups of different ages
  • might have different maturation rates = response to manipulation
    SO make sure they only differ by only one variable (eg match age)
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10
Q

Explain how repeated testing can threaten internal validity

A
  • pre-test may improve their performance?

SO avoid repeated testing/ add control group who only get post-test

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11
Q

Explain how instrument change can threaten internal validity

A

Experimenter getting bored, not good = another systematic difference between conditions
SO having highly standardised procedures, random allocation + lots of familiarisation for the experimenter

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12
Q

Explain how initial non-equivalence of groups can threaten the internal validity

A

Cohort effect: groups differ on many variables other than the one interest

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13
Q

Explain how regression to the mean can threaten the internal validity

A
  • testing once can result in extreme score and picking people from this score, their scores can be vastly different next time
    SO select people randomly
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14
Q

Explain how differential mortality can threaten internal validity

A
  • motivation to recover from something = making the treatment more effective
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15
Q

Explain how experimenter effects can threaten internal validity

A
  • experimenters have expectations which may affect performance
  • pygmalion effect
  • Placebo effect
    SO “double-blind” procedures if possible
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16
Q

What is the pygmalion effect?

A

Teacher’s expectations affecting a pupil’s IQ

17
Q

Explain how reactivity can threaten the internal validity

A

Hawthorne effect

- productivity affected by other factors; Draper, 2006

18
Q

What is the Hawthorne effect?

A

ppt’s response may have been affected by their awareness of being studied/ experimental manipulatoins

19
Q

What alternative reasons did Draper in 2006 give for why productivity may be affected in an experiment?

A
  • Material factors
  • Motivation - rewards?
  • Learning - practice?
  • feedback on performance
  • Attention and expectations of observers
20
Q

What are the different types of experimental design?

A
  1. Quasi-experiemental designs
    - no control over allocation of subjects to groups or timing manipulation of IV
  2. True experimental designs
21
Q

What are the different quasi-experimental designs?

A
  1. One group pre-test/ post-test design
  2. One-group post-test design
  3. Interrupted time-series design
  4. Static group comparison design
22
Q

Describe the One-group post-test design

A
  • after an event
    EG: 9/11 lvls of anxiety
  • prone to time effects
  • no baseline against which to measure effects - pretty useless
23
Q

Describe the one-group pre-test/ post-test design

A
  • does have a baseline against which to measure effects of treatment (so like a control)
  • still prone to time effects
24
Q

Describe the interrupted time-series design

A

measurements are taken several times before and after the treatment
- still prone to time effects

25
Q

Describe Static group comparison design

A

2 already pre-existing groups and compare them

- subjects are not allocated randomly to groups - so differences may be due to pre-existing group differences

26
Q

What are the different true experimental designs?

A
  1. Post-test only/ control group design
  2. Pre-test/ post-test control group design
  3. Solomon four group design
27
Q

Describe the post-test only/ control group design

A
  • RANDOM allocation
  • -> ensure observed differences are not due to pre-existing groups but can’t be certain
  • 2 different groups
  • 1 = control
28
Q

Describe the pre-test/post-test control group design

A
  • RANDOM allocation
  • measurement in the groups
  • treatment
  • measurement
  • -> ensures groups are indeed comparable before the experimental manipulation was administrated
29
Q

Describe the Solomon four group design

A
  • RANDOM allocation
  • 4 groups
  • A + B = pretest
  • C + D = no pretest
  • then either treatment or no treatment
  • then measurement
  • -> ensures groups comparable before experimental manipulation
  • -> an pre-test hasn’t affected performance
  • -> rarely used since need lots of people
30
Q

What is the different between Within-subjects (repeated measures) and between-groups (independent measure) designs?

A

Between-groups (independent measures)
–> each subject in one condition only
Within-subjects (repeated measures)
–> Each subject does all of the conditions in a study

31
Q

What is a potential problem with within-subjects group design?

A
  • order effects!!
    –> practice, fatigue, boredom
  • fixed order = vary systematically with conditions
    SO randomise order of condition
  • counter balance order of conditions
32
Q

What are the ad of between groups design therefore the opp for within subjects?

A
  • straightforward
  • need lots more subjects
  • no carry over effects between conditions
  • low sensitivity to experimental effects
  • reversibility of conditions is NOT important
33
Q

What type of method is used to study phenomena involving long time-periods?

A
  • cross-sectional

- longitudinal

34
Q

What is the difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal methods?

A

C: different groups of ppt for each time-phase of the study
–> separate groups 5, 10 etc each given the same test
L: each ppt is measured repeatedly over time
–> at 5yrs, 10 yrs etc

35
Q

What are the disadvantages of the experimental method?

A
  • intrusive, they know they are being watched, may affect behaviour
  • Experimenter effects
  • Not all phenomenas suitable for this method
  • -> eg age/ sex = quasi-experimental strictly speaking