Research designs Flashcards
(17 cards)
What are the three types of research design?
- Independent measures
- Repeated measures
- Matched pairs
What are independent measures?
Participants only take part in one condition of the experiment when two or more groups are involved.
Why is independent measures good for order effects?
There are no order effects as the participants only sit one section of the study, meaning they will not get bored or tired which would affect the results, meaning validity is increased.
Why is there less chance of demand characteristics in independent measures?
The participant is less likely to know the aim of the study if they do not know what is being changed when they only sit one condition, making the results more valid as they will not display behaviour they think the researcher wants.
Why are independent measures more time consuming?
They require double the number of participants meaning they will have to recruit more participants to make the study more generalisable, which takes time.
Why are there participant variables in independent measures design?
There will be differences in the group variations such as age, sex, IQ, or socio-economic background, which may influence the results and lower the validity.
What are repeated measures?
One group of participants take part in both conditions.
Why does repeated measures reduce participant variables?
They compare the same score to the same participant so there is no difference in age/sex/IQ/socio-economic background, meaning the findings are more valid.
Why is repeated measures less time consuming?
They need to recruit less participants as they do both conditions.
Why are there likely to be demand characteristics in repeated measures?
The participants know the IV, so can likely figure out the aim of the study so may change their behaviour to fit the wants of the researcher.
Why do repeated measures risk order effects?
The participants are doing all conditions so may get bored or tired making their results less valid.
What is counterbalancing?
Alternating the order in which the participants perform different conditions, e.g., group 1 does A then B, and group 2 does B then A, to eliminate order effects.
What are matched pairs?
Two groups, but participants are matched in each condition for characteristics that have an effect on their performance, such as age, IQ, previous test scores, or gender and socio-economic background.
Why does matched pairs prevent participant variables?
because the test scores are compared to a participant who is as similar to them as possible, increasing validity.
How does matched pairs prevent order effects?
Participants only do one condition so do not risk getting bored, which could alter results.
Why is there a lower chance of demand characteristics in matched pairs design?
Participants only do one condition so are not likely to figure out the aim of the study meaning they will not alter their behaviour to what they think the researcher wants.
Why is matched pairs more time consuming?
Finding participants that are as similar to another participant as possible is highly difficult as there may still be participant variables.
They also require more participants than repeated measures.
