Between Subjects Experimental Designs

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to between-subjects experimental designs, focusing on the principles and methodologies involved in this research approach.

Between-Subjects Experimental Design

An experimental research strategy that involves comparing scores across different groups of participants, where each participant is subjected to only one treatment.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that the researcher manipulates in an experiment to determine its effect on the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that is measured in an experiment to assess the effect of the independent variable.

Cause and effect relationship

describes how one event, the cause, leads to the outcome or effect in another event. This concept is crucial for understanding the impact of independent variables on dependent variables in experimental designs.

Random assignment

A process used to assign participants to different groups in a study, ensuring that each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any group

Confounding Variable

An external influence that can affect the outcome of an experiment and lead to erroneous conclusions.

Individual Differences

Variations among participants in a study that may affect their responses to the treatments.

Equivalence of Groups

The requirement in between-subjects designs that groups must be similar except for the independent variable

Variance

The degree of variation in scores within a set of data; large variance can mask treatment effects.

Statistical Interpretation

The process of analyzing data to determine if differences in scores are significant.

ANOVA

A statistical method used to compare means among three or more groups to evaluate the effect of one independent variable

Two-Group Design

A basic experimental design that compares the means of two separate groups.

Matching

A method of pairing participants based on specific traits to ensure equivalent groups in a study

Differential Attrition

The dropout rate of participants from different groups, which can threaten the internal validity of an experiment.

Compensatory Rivalry

A threat to internal validity where members of a control group alter their behavior in response to the treatment a different group is receiving.