Research Methods - Experimental Designs

Question 1

Experiment designs

Answer 1

How the participants are organised within the experiment

Question 2

Types of experiments designs

Answer 2

• independent groups
• repeated measures
• matched pairs

Question 3

What might psychologists do when there is 2 different conditions in an experiment?

Answer 3

Compare

Question 4

Experimental condition

Answer 4

Involves a group of people who are exposed to the independent variable e.g. chocolate

Question 5

Control condition

Answer 5

Group receives no treatments and are used as a base line level to compare results against e.g. the group that receive no chocolate

Question 6

Two types of conditions

Answer 6

Experiment condition
Control condition

Question 7

Controls

Answer 7

Randomisation
Standardisation
Random allocation

Question 8

Randomisation

Answer 8

• use chance in order to control for the effects of bias when deciding the order of conditions
  E.g. making sure a list of words aren’t too easy or too hard = better to put them in random order
• very important if you’re using a repeated measures design + the same participants are taking part in two different conditions

Question 9

Standardisation

Answer 9

• using exactly the same formalised procedures + instructions for all participants = improves reliability

Question 10

Random allocation

Answer 10

• attempt to control for participant variables in an independent groups design which ensures that each participant as the same chance of being in one condition or the other