Experimental designs

Question 1

What is an experimental design?

Answer 1

An experimental design is the different ways in which the testing of participants can be organised in relation to the conditions

Question 2

What is counterbalancing?

Answer 2

Counterbalancing is an attempt to control order effects which are the order of conditions which can impact the outcome in a repeated measured design

Question 3

What is repeated measures?

Answer 3

Repeated measures is where participants experience both conditions of the experiment, then mean scores of both conditions are compared to see if their was a difference.

Question 4

What is matched pairs?

Answer 4

Matched pairs is pairs of participants which are matched on similar variables, one participant is in condition a and the other in condition b

Question 5

What are independent groups?

Answer 5

Independent groups are allocated to different conditions, they only experience one level of the independent condition

Question 6

Strengths of repeated measures

Answer 6

-no individual differences
-cofounding variables reduced
-fewer participants

Question 7

weaknesses of repeated measures

Answer 7

-order effects, differences in participant responses that result from the order

Question 8

strengths of matched pairs

Answer 8

-individual differences have been reduced
-avoid order effects

Question 9

weaknesses of matched pairs

Answer 9

-time consuming
-impossible to remove all individual differences

Question 10

strengths of independent groups

Answer 10

-less demand characteristics as you are less likely to guess the aim

Question 11

weaknesses of independent groups

Answer 11

-more participants
-more participant variables