Research Types

Question 1

What is experimental design?

Answer 1

The process of deciding how to implement scientific research.

Question 2

Process to implement scientific research

Answer 2

• Begin with broad questions
• Narrow down, focus in
• Operationalize
• Observe
• Analyze data
• Reach conclusions
• Generalize back to questions

Question 3

What is a true experiment?

Answer 3

• attempts to isolate cause and effect, and to eliminate alternative explanations of observed relationships between variables.
• an independent variable is manipulated and all other salient
  variables are controlled, including the random allocation of participants to
  conditions.
• measures any change in the dependent variable.

Question 4

What is an independent variable?

Answer 4

Variable whose effect has to be
measured in an experiment.

Question 5

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 5

Whose changes depend on the
manipulation of the independent variable.

Question 6

What is a confounding variable?

Answer 6

a type of extraneous variable that not only affects the dependent variable, but is also related to the independent
variable.

Question 7

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 7

any variable that you’re not investigating that can potentially affect the dependent variable of your research study.

Question 8

What is a quasi-experiment?

Answer 8

Experiments where participants are not randomly allocated by the experimenter into conditions (creating non-equivalent groups)
of the manipulated independent variable or where the researcher does not control the independent variable.

Question 9

What are natural experiments?

Answer 9

the study of a naturally occurring situation as it unfolds in the
real world.

Question 10

Types of experimental designs

Answer 10

• Independent sample design
• Repeated measure design
• Matched pair design
• Single participant design / small n design

Question 11

What is the independent samples design?

Answer 11

two experimental group is generated. One group performs main ‘experiment’ while the other one is assigned ‘control’ experiment.

Question 12

What is the placebo group?

Answer 12

This is similar to control grouping that they
experience exactly the same condition as experimental group except for the level of independent variable that is thought to
affect the dependent variable.

Question 13

What are participant variable/ non-equivalent groups?

Answer 13

refers to condition when difference in results between experiment and control group can be attributed
to different ability of participants in two groups.

Question 14

How do you overcome participant variability?

Answer 14

• Random allocation of participants to conditions.
• Pre-test participants (baseline)

Question 15

What is repeated measures design?

Answer 15

• In this kind of design all participants are supposed to perform both ‘main’ and ‘control’ experiments.
• Also known as within- subject design: as this type of design measures differences within each participant.
• If the participants are same for both the conditions, and all other variables are controlled, any differences within participants should be the effect of the manipulated independent variable.

Question 16

What is matched pairs design?

Answer 16

a type of experimental design where each participant is matched with another participant who is similar to them on certain key characteristics. Once participants are matched into pairs based on these characteristics, one member of each pair is randomly assigned to one experimental condition, while the other member is assigned to another condition. This ensures that any differences observed between the conditions can be attributed to the manipulation of the independent variable rather than to differences between participants.

Question 17

What are the advantages of matched pairs design?

Answer 17

• Controls for lurking variables
• Eliminates order effects

Question 18

What is a lurking variable?

Answer 18

a variable that is not accounted for in an experiment that could potentially affect the outcomes of the experiment.

Question 19

What are order effects?

Answer 19

refers to differences in outcomes due to the order in which experimental materials are presented to subjects.

Question 20

What are the disadvantages of matched pairs design?

Answer 20

1. Losing two subjects if one drops out.
2. Time-consuming to find matches.
3. Impossible to match subjects perfectly.

Question 21

What is a single participant or small n design?

Answer 21

These types of designs are conducted in medical research where there are few participants suitable for the research.

Question 22

Steps of hypothesis testing

Answer 22

1. Stating the hypothesis (Null or
   Alternative)
2. Setting the criteria for a decision
3. Collecting data
4. Evaluate the Null hypothesis

Question 23

What is a null hypothesis

Answer 23

represents a theory that has been put forward, either because it is believed to be true or because it is to be used as a basis for argument, but has not been proved.

Question 24

What is the alternative hypothesis?

Answer 24

a statement of what a hypothesis
test is set up to establish.
1. Opposite of Null Hypothesis.
2. Only reached if H0 is rejected.

Question 25

What are the types of error in testing hypotheses

Answer 25

• Type I:A type I error occurs when the null hypothesis (H0) is wrongly rejected.
• Type II: A type II error occurs when the null hypothesis H0, is not rejected when it is in fact false.

Question 26

What is the margin of error?

Answer 26

refers to the amount of uncertainty or variability associated with a sample estimate of a population parameter. It quantifies the degree of accuracy or precision of an estimate and reflects the potential range of values within which the true population parameter is likely to fall.

Question 27

What is the confidence level?

Answer 27

The confidence level specifies the amount of uncertainty associated with your estimate. This is the chance that the margin of error will contain the true proportion. A higher confidence level requires a larger sample size.

Question 28

What is the sample proportion?

Answer 28

The sample proportion is what you expect the results
to be. This can often be determined by using the results from a previous survey, or by running a small pilot study.