Empirical Research designs

Experimental Quasi experimental Correlational

Experimental designs
Basic exp: Control Group and Exp. Group Control group: DV Exp group : IV and DV

Exp designs aim at drawing causal inferences

Three conditions of causal inferences Covariation Time order Non-spuriousness

 These conditions are satisfied through three components of exp designs Comparison to determine covariation Manipulation to determine time order Control to determine non spuriousness

Threats to internal validity/control

Extrinsic factors Groups are different from each other before entering the experiment Intrinsic factors History: Social, political and environmental canges Maturation: Biological and psychological changes that occur in participants Instrumentation: Changes in instruments Testing experience: Practice effect Regression artifact: Tendency to move toward average Reactivity: Reactions to the experimental situations

Types of experimental designs

Experimental designs
N>1

N=1

Single factor

Factorial

Independent groups

Repeated measures

Independent groups

Repeated measures

Mixed

Randomized

Matched

Incomplete

Complete

Independent groups/Between groups

Randomized: Random assignment to the groups Block randomization. E.g there are five experimental conditions (12345) and 10 participants to be in each condition You will make 10 blocks of five conditions through random number tables. Like following

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 Matched: To match the groups on the variables that may effect DV Matching by frequencies Matching by averages

 Both designs are used for balancing the confounding variables To control for reactivity placebo control and double blind techniques are used

Repeated measures/within group designs

Same subjects participate in both experimental and control conditions

Reasons for using repeated measures designs/benefits

1. Limited number of participants available 2. Convenience

3. Less error variation: no confounding due to

individual differences

4. Requirement of the study: To study changes

over time, to study how participants compare stimuli

CONFOUNDING FACTOR/THREAT TO INTERNAL VALIDITY: PRACTICE

Example of repeated measures design

Stroop effect (Stroop, J. R., 1935) Two conditions 1.Naming the colour in square patches

2. Naming the colour in words when colour of print and words are different GREEN BLUE RED YELLOW

Balancing practice effects

Complete designs
Each condition is administered to each participant several times in different orders Order effects are balanced within each participant

Incomplete designs
Different individuals receive different orders of conditions Order effect is balanced out across participants

Repeated measures: Complete designs

Block randomization ABBA design

Block randomization
Conditions of the experiment are randomly ordered each time they are presented Use when performance of participants can be affected by anticipation effects

Block randomization with random number table

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For two conditions AB and 8 sets of trials randomly selected sequence of AB will be AB, BA, AB, AB, .

ABBA
A random sequence o f all conditions are presented followed by the opposite of the sequence For two conditions and eight sets of trials sequence will be AB, BA, AB, BA, AB, BA, AB, BA Use
When it is not possible to administer conditions often enough to be balanced

Repeated measures: Incomplete designs

With only two conditions half of the participants receive the AB order and other half BA order With more than two conditions there are two choices

All possible orders

for four conditions, there are 24 orders. (N!= 4X3X2X1=24)

Selected orders

Selected orders (cont)

Random starting order
Begin with random order of conditions and rotate the sequence systematically with each condition moving one position on the left each time

BACD, ACDB, CDBA, DBAC

Selected orders (cont.)

Latin square
Each condition appears at each ordinal position once Each condition precedes and follows each condition only once

How to construct Latin square

1. Randomly order the conditions(e.g., BADC) Number the conditions(e.g., 1=B, 2=A, 3=D,4=C)
For first row use rule, 1,2,N,3,N-1,4,N-2,5,N-3,6,N-7, and so on (BACD) For the second row add one to each number in first row and consider N=1 (2314 or ADBC) Add 1 to each number in previous row and consider N =1(3421 or DCAB) Add 1 to each number in previous row and consider N =1(4132 or CBDA)

BACD ADBC DCAB CBDA