Experimental design Flashcards
What is a control group?
The group in an experiment that does not receive the variable you are testing
What are control conditions?
Everything in a control condition is the same as the experimental conditions except that the independent variable is absent or held constant
What is counterbalancing?
A procedure that allows a researcher to control the effects of nuisance variables in designs where the same participants are repeatedly subjected to conditions, treatments, or stimuli
Why do we use independent groups?
They include less time/money involved than a subjects design and increased external validity because more participants are used
What are repeated measures?
The experiment is repeated numerous times to increase accuracy and fairness
What are matched pairs?
An experimental design where pairs of participants are matched in terms of key variables, such as age
What are order effects?
The order of the conditions having an effect on the participants’ behaviour so performance in the second condition may be better because the participants know what to do
