Experimental design

Question 1

What does ‘experimental design’ mean?

Answer 1

How you allocate your participants to the different conditions in an experiment

Question 2

How many conditions do participants take part in in ‘Independent groups’?

Answer 2

One condition

Question 3

What are 2 advantages to using Independent groups?

Answer 3

• Avoids order effects
• Reduces demand characteristics

Question 4

What are the 2 disadvantages to using Independent groups?

Answer 4

• Needs lots of participants
• Differences between groups may affect the result

Question 5

What is the definition of ‘order effects’?

Answer 5

When the order of the conditions in an experiment has an effect on participant behaviour

Question 6

What happens during ‘Repeated measures’?

Answer 6

• Participants take part in all conditions
• Everyone experiences the control and experimental condition

Question 7

What are the 2 advantages to using Repeated measures?

Answer 7

• Avoids participant variables as everyone does all conditions
• Fewer people needed

Question 8

What are the 2 disadvantages to using Repeated measures?

Answer 8

• Order effects are more likely
• Demand characteristics are more likley as participants are more likley to guess the aim

Question 9

What is the definition of ‘counterbalancing’?

Answer 9

Alternating the order in which participants take part in different conditions

Question 10

What happens in ‘matched pairs’?

Answer 10

• Participants are matched in each condition for any characteristic that may affect performance
• Results are compared between members of each pair

Question 11

What are the 2 advantages to using Matched pairs?

Answer 11

• Reduces participant variables
• Reduces order affects and demand characteristics

Question 12

What are the 2 disadvantages to using Matched pairs?

Answer 12

• Very time consuming
• Impossible to match pairs exactly