Experimental Design

Question 1

Experimental Design

Answer 1

Different ways in which the testing of the participants can be organised in relation to the experimental conditions. The ways are: independent group, repeated measures and matched pairs.

Question 2

Independent Group Design

Answer 2

Participants are allocated to different groups where each groups represents 1 experimental condition. One could be the experimental condition and the other could be the control condition.

Question 3

Repeated Measures

Answer 3

All participants to experience all conditions. To see if there was a difference.

Question 4

Matched Pairs

Answer 4

Pairs of participants are first matched on some variables that may affect DV. Then 1 member of pair is assigned to condition A and the other to condition B. This is done because with repeated measures, when participants are tested more than once and experience all conditions, they would know the aims of the study. When matched, they are matched to similar characteristics: IQ, chattiest, etc.

Question 5

Weakness for Independent Groups

Answer 5

If they find a mean difference between groups on the DV, they may be more to do with individual difference rather than effects of IV. Therefore they use random allocation: each person has an equal chance of in being in 1 condition as any other.

Question 6

Strength for Independent Groups

Answer 6

Less likely to guess aims

Question 7

Weakness for Repeated Measures

Answer 7

Order of which they do conditions might have an effect on result. To deal with this, they use counterbalancing: attempt to control for order effects in a repeated measure: half do in 1 order and half do it opposite order. Order acts as confounding variable as repeating tasks will also create fatigue and deterioration in performance on 2nd task.

Question 8

Weakness for Repeated Measures

Answer 8

Participants will work out aim of study when experiencing all conditions.

Question 9

Strength for Repeated Measures

Answer 9

Fewer participants are needed.

Question 10

Strength for Matched Pairs

Answer 10

Only take part in single condition so order effects is less of a problem. They also not likely to guess aim of experiment.

Question 11

Weakness for Matched Pairs

Answer 11

Can never be matched exactly as there would still be differences between them that might affect DV.

Question 12

Weakness for Matched Pairs

Answer 12

Time consuming.