Implementing Your Experiment

Question 1

Implementing Your Experiment

Answer 1

Leave nothing to chance- plan everything
Expect the unexpected
If something can go wrong, it will
Make sure mistakes won’t compromise study/data -> safeguards

Question 2

After experiment is designed, but before data collection starts:

Answer 2

After each step, re-evaluate design; redesign if necessary

1. Have others critique your design
   - weed out poor versions before they are done
2. Figure out total time to run experiment on each subject (and schedule accordingly)
3. Prepare and test potential stimuli
4. Write up all procedures (from moment sub enters, to leaves)
5. Write up subject instructions and debriefing (decrease bad variance)
6. Determine total # subjects
   - determine # per condition
   - plan to test 10% more subjects
7. Determine if any type of person should be excluded as a potential subject
8. Plan for backing up data immediately and often
9. Select experimenters
10. Determine criteria to exclude data from final analysis BEFORE beginning to give hyp. fair test (usually little to none actually discarded)
11. Determine how data is to be analyzed (try out with sample data) and figure out how to interpret any possible outcome (learn something no matter what)
12. Calibrate all equipment and schedule regular recalibrations
13. Be subject yourself
14. Run practice subjects or pilot