Chapter 9

Experimental Designs

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Causal Research
Research conducted to identify cause-and-effect
relationships among variables when the research has
already been narrowly defined

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Evidence for Causality

Covariation

Evidence of the extent to which X and Y occur together or

vary together in the way predicted by the hypothesis

Time order of occurrence of variable

Evidence that shows X occurs before Y

Evidence that allows the elimination of factors other than X

as the cause of Y

Elimination of other possible causal factors

A logical explanation

About why the independent variable affects the dependent

variable.

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Experiment

Data collection method in which one or more IVs are

manipulated in order to measure their effect on a DV,
while controlling for exogenous variables in order to
test a hypothesis

Cause and effect relationship is established by

Manipulation of independent variable

Controlling for exogenous factors

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Manipulation of IV

Manipulation
Creation of different levels of the IV to assess the impact on
the DV

Treatment levels
The arbitrary or natural groups a researcher makes within the
IV

Evidence for causality

Covariation (difference between groups)

Time order control

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Exogenous Variables

Controlling for exogenous/confounding variables

Eliminating other possible causal factors

Eliminating alternative explanations

Experimental designs available

Two types of exogenous variables

Related to participants
Related other, environmental factors

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Related to Participants
Selection bias: improper assignment of participants to the experimental groups
Matched groups: Match the different groups as closely as possible in terms of age,
interest, expertise etc.
Random assignment: Randomly assign members to different treatment groups. The
differences will be randomly distributed. Systematic bias will reduce.
Statistical control: Measuring the external variables and adjusting for their effect
through statistical methods

Mortality: Loss of participants during the experiment

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Related to other actors

History effects: External events occurring at the same time that may
affect the DV
Maturation effects: Changes in the participants as a passage of time
that may affect the DV
Testing effects: The experiment itself affect the responses

Main testing effect: prior responses affect later responses

Interactive testing effect: prior responses affect perception of IV

Instrumentation effects: Changes in measuring instrument

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Experimental Design

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Experimental Design

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Experimental Design

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Experimental Design

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Experimental Design

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Experimental Design

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Experimental Design

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Exercise
An organization would like to introduce one of two types of new manufacturing processes
to increase the productivity of workers. Both involve heavy investment in expensive
technology. The company wants to test the efficacy of each process in one of its small
plants.
Propose an experiment, using:
- Pretest posttest control group design
- Posttest control group design
And calculate for each design the specific effect of each new process on the productivity.

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Validity
Internal validity
Determination of whether the effect is actually caused by the manipulation
of treatments and not by other, exogenous variables

External validity
Determination of whether the cause-and-effect relationships found in the
experiment can be generalized

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Compared to field experiments,

lab experiments have the following
Advantages
High degree of control
High internal validity / replication
Less costly and less expensive

Disadvantages
Artificiality => reactive error
Demand artifacts
Lower external validity
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