Experimental Designs

Question 1

Experimental designs

Answer 1

How participants of an experiment are used

Question 2

Types of experimental designs

Answer 2

• Independent groups
• Repeated measures
• Matched pairs

Question 3

Independent groups

Answer 3

The participants in each group are different candidates for each condition

Question 4

Independent groups strengths and limitations

Answer 4

Strength - no order effect
Limitation - participants variables can affect results

Question 5

Repeated measures

Answer 5

Participants complete both conditions in the experiment

Question 6

Repeated measures strengths and limitations

Answer 6

Strength – no participant values as they are the same people
Limitation – order effect

Question 7

Matched pairs

Answer 7

Different participants are used for each condition, however they have been matched to have similar conditions

Question 8

Matched pairs, strengths and limitations

Answer 8

Strengths – reduces participant variables, no order effect
Limitations – it’s not possible to follow at all characteristics

Question 9

Order effect

Answer 9

Participants responses are affected by the order of conditions they are exposed to
To overcome or affect the researchers can use counterbalancing

Question 10

Counterbalancing

Answer 10

When half of the participants complete condition A and then condition B; while the other half do the vice versa

Question 11

Types of participant sampling

Answer 11

– Random sampling
– Systematic sampling
– Stratifical sampling
– Opportunity sampling

Question 12

Random sampling

Answer 12

All members of the target population have an equal chance of being selected

Question 13

Random sampling, strengths and limitations

Answer 13

Strength – potentially unbiased sample.
Limitation – difficult to obtain a list of the full target population, time consuming

Question 14

Systematic sampling

Answer 14

Every nth member of the population is selected

Question 15

Systematic sampling, strengths and limitations

Answer 15

Strength – sampling is objective.
Limitation – participants may refuse to take part, time consuming

Question 16

Stratifical sampling

Answer 16

The research needs to identify the strata, then the proportions of the sample that makes up the population

Question 17

Stratifical sampling strengths and limitations

Answer 17

Strength – representative sample reflects composition of population meaning generalisation is possible
Limitation – the identified strata cannot reflect all the ways that people are different

Question 18

Strata

Answer 18

The subgroups that people are divided into

Question 19

Opportunity sampling

Answer 19

People who are available and willing to take part

Question 20

Opportunity sampling strengths and limitations

Answer 20

Strength – convenient and less costly.
Limitation – false representation of population; researcher has complete control over the selection of participant meaning research bias

Question 21

Sensation

Answer 21

It is physical stimulus of our environment on our sense organs

Question 22

Perception

Answer 22

Is the organisation and interpretation of century information to understand the world

Question 23

James Gibson constructive theory of perception states

Answer 23

Perception and sensation are the same thing

Question 24

Strengths and limitations of Jane Gibson theory

Answer 24

Strength – has a real world relevance and explains how we perceive things in every day life
Limitation – doesn’t explain why we make perceptional errors when viewing optical illusions

Question 25

Optical flow

Answer 25

When we are moving the point to where we are moving stays stationary, and the rest of the view appears to rush away

Question 26

‘motion parallax’

Answer 26

Objects close to us appear to be moving faster than the objects further away