Research Designs

Question 1

What are the 3 ‘research designs’

Answer 1

-Independent measures
-Repeated measures
-Matched pairs

Question 2

What is independent measures?

Answer 2

Participants only take part in one condition of the experiment (requiring two separate groups).

Question 3

How does independent measures design avoid order effects to increase validity?

Answer 3

One strength of independent measures is that it avoids order effects. This is a strength as the participant will not become bored or tired in the experiment therefore increasing validity.

Question 4

Why do we reduce demand characteristics when using independent measures design?

Answer 4

One strength of independent measures is that there is less chance of demand characteristics. The participant is less likely to know the aims as they only do one condition, thus increasing the validity.

Question 5

Give one weakness of independent measures design

Answer 5

One weakness of independent measures is that more people are needed due to separate conditions in comparison to a repeated measures design. This is a weakness as it will be more time consuming to conduct.

Question 6

Give one weakness of independent measures design

Answer 6

One weakness of independent measures design is that there are participant variables. This is a weakness as the differences between the groups may affect the results, for example variations in age, sex or social background.

Question 7

Give the AO1 for repeated measures

Answer 7

One group of participants take part in both conditions of the experiment.

Question 8

Why is it a strength that participant variables are reduced in repeated measures?

Answer 8

One strength of repeated measures design is that it avoids participant variables, as compare scores from one condition to another for the same participant. This is a strength as it increases validity of the results.

Question 9

Is it a strength or a weakness that in a repeated measures design less people are needed?
Why is this a strength/weakness?

Answer 9

One strength of repeated measures design is that fewer people are needed, as the same people can take part in group conditions. This is a strength as it is less time consuming.

Question 10

Give one weakness of repeated measures

Answer 10

• One weakness of repeated measures is that demand characteristics are more likely as participants are involved in all conditions. This is a weakness as validity is reduced.

Question 11

Give one weakness of repeated measures

Answer 11

One weakness of repeated measures is that order effects are more likely to occur. This is a weakness as it reduces validity.

Question 12

How can we reduce the risk of order effects when using repeated measures?

Answer 12

Counter balancing

Question 13

What is counter balancing and how does it reduce order effects?

Answer 13

Alternating the order in which participants perform in different conditions of an experiment. For example, group 1 does A then B, group 2 does B then A to eliminate order effects.

Question 14

What is matched pairs? Give some examples of what people can be matched on.

Answer 14

Participants are matched in each condition for characteristics that may have an effect on their performance, e.g., IQ, age, previous test scores.

Question 15

Give 3 strengths of using a matched pairs design

Answer 15

• matched pairs design is that it avoids participant variables, as compare scores from one condition to another for the same participant which increases the validity of the results.
• matched pairs design avoids order effects so the participant will not become bored or tired in the experiment therefore increasing validity.
• Using matched pairs design is that there is less chance of demand characteristics as the participant is less likely to know the aims as they only do one condition, thus increasing the validity.

Question 16

Give 2 weaknesses of a matched pair design

Answer 16

• matched pairs design means that it may be hard to find appropriate matches for all participants which is a weakness as it may be very time consuming to do and there may still be participant variables.
• One weakness of matched pairs design is that it requires more participants. This is a weakness as it will be very time consuming to recruit.

Question 17

Which classic studies have you looked at in paper 1 which used a matched pair design in their design. What were the participant’s matched on?

Answer 17

Sherif (boys matched on IQ and sporting ability)
Raine (matched on age, education and family history of mental illness)

Question 18

Which classic studies have you looked at in paper 1 which used an independent measures design in their design.

Answer 18

Baddeley - p’s only completed 1 of the 4 word lists