Factorial Designs

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to factorial designs, including definitions of important terms and principles.

Factorial Design

A research design that tests the effects of more than one independent variable simultaneously.

Main Effects

The effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable without regard to the levels of other independent variables.

Interactions

A situation where the effect of one independent variable depends on the level of another independent variable.

Orthogonality

The principle that independent variables in a factorial design should be independent of one another.

Crossed Design

An experimental design where each level of one independent variable is paired with each level of every other independent variable.

Increased Power

The capacity of factorial designs to detect effects by reducing unexplained variance in the outcomes.

Order Effects

Effects that occur when the order of presenting the independent variables affects the outcome.

Variables vs. Constructs

The distinction between independent variables used in a study (variables) and the broader concepts they represent (constructs).

Measured vs. Manipulated

The difference between variables that are observed (measured) and those that are controlled by the researcher (manipulated).

Effect Size

A measure of the magnitude of the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable, often smaller for interactions than for main effects.

Chi-squared Test

A statistical test used to determine if there is a significant association between categorical variables.

ANOVA

Analysis of Variance, a statistical method used to compare means among groups and assess main effects and interactions.

Multiple Regression

A statistical technique that assesses how multiple independent variables predict a dependent variable.

Interaction Effect Size

Refers to the size of the interaction effect, which is often smaller than the main effects.

Dependencies of Effects

The scenario in factorial designs where the effect of one independent variable is dependent on the level of another independent variable.

Efficient Tests

Tests that allow researchers to assess multiple effects of interest concurrently, increasing the efficiency of research.