Experimental Design Tutorial: Quick Reference Guide
This quick reference guide outlines some of the key experimental design concepts that you need to be aware of during your time as a psychology student. The guide is designed to used in conjunction with an easy to follow experimental design tutorial which you can access via the following link.
EXPERIMENTAL HYPOTHESIS (H1)
The prediction of the outcome of the experiment
ONE-TAILED EXPERIMENTAL HYPOTHESIS
Predicts the way that behavior will change
TWO-TAILED EXPERIMENTAL HYPOTHESIS
Simply states that the behavior will change
NULL HYPOTHESIS (H0)
Simply states that any observed differences between groups were down to chance.
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (IV)
The one factor that is different between the conditions
DEPENDENT VARIABLE (DV)
The aspect of behavior that is measured
EXTRANEOUS VARIABLE
Anything, other than the IV that might have had an effect on the result of the experiment.
CONFOUNDING VARIABLE
An extraneous variable that does effect the result of the experiment. In doing so, it becomes impossible to say whether any difference found was due to the IV or the confounding variable.
INDEPENDENT SUBJECTS DESIGN
Some subjects perform in experimental condition and others in control condition.
REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN
All subjects perform in both experimental condition and control condition
MATCHED PAIRS DESIGN
As a result of a pre-test subjects are sorted into pairs. One of the pair performs in the experimental condition and the other performs in the control.
ORDER EFFECTS
If a participant has to perform a series of actions, the order in which she/he performs them will have an effect on the efficiency of each action. The two main order effects are practice (increases efficiency) and fatigue (decreases efficiency).
COUNTERBALANCING
Employed to ensure that order effects have an equal effect by alternating the conditions.
Recent Articles
-
James McKeen Cattell: Today in the History of Psychology (25th May 1860)
May 25, 19 10:00 AM
James McKeen Cattell was born. A dominant figure in the founding days of modern psychology, Cattell studied under Wilhelm Wundt at the University of Leipzig before returning to the United States to ta… -
Lillian Gilbreth: Today in the History of Psychology (24th May 1878)
May 24, 19 10:00 AM
Lillian Moller Gilbreth was born. A pioneer in the field of industrial and organizational psychology, Gilbreth introduced the concept of the time and motion study as a business efficiency and producti… -
A Treatise on Melancholy: Today in the History of Psychology (23rd May 1586)
May 23, 19 10:00 AM
Elizabethan physician Timothie Bright, wrote, signed and dated the dedication page to Peter Osborne in his book 'A Treatise on Melancholy.' Subtitled 'containing the causes thereof, and reasons of the…
Go To The Experimental Design Tutorial Page
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.