ȳ - > Designing an experimental study

An experimental study is a research design used in psychology to gather information. There are many reasons to design an experimental study. For example, a medical researcher may run an experiment to test the efficacy of a new drug or treatment. Many experiments in the natural sciences are based on the principles of randomization and control groups. These principles ensure that the findings are valid and applicable to other situations. Designing an effective experiment is crucial for collecting valid data. The term 'experimental study' originates from the Greek word experimenta, which translated as 'to find out.' In early experiments, scientists compared the merits of two or more theories to determine which one was more accurate. This methodology is now called 'the scientific method.' However, not all scientific research is based on the scientific method- some experimental studies use non-random sampling methods to collect data. These are sometimes referred to as 'pseudo-experiments.' At times, experimental studies are used instead of clinical trials. This is because clinical trials require animals (and sometimes humans) while experimental studies use only human subjects. Essentially, what you learn as an experimental subject can help inform future design choices. When designing an experiment, you must first determine how you want to collect your data. There are three commonly used sampling approaches in experimental studies; convenience sample, consecutive sample and census sample. A convenience sample collects the data from people who voluntarily agree to participate in your study. For example, if a research team wants to test the efficacy of advertisement strategies on driving sales, they would approach automobile dealers as their convenience sample. To ensure an accurate sample, you must inform subjects about the goals of your study before asking for their participation. Next, you must contact all subjects who meet your criteria and ask them to participate. After that, you must closely follow up with any subjects who have failed to respond so far and encourage them to participate in your study. To successfully collect your data, you must be extremely patient and persistent- but it's worth it! After deciding on your sampling approach, you will need a plan for how you will collect your data. You need this plan since collecting your data is an active process that happens over time. You must also choose a control group and an experimental group so that you can compare their responses during your experiment. To ensure that each group has equal access to the materials you want to test, you may want to distribute the items yourself or have an outside party do so for you. You can also control how long each subject spends interacting with each object or question so that every subject receives equal time and attention from your researchers. You will also need a schedule of when each subject will undergo each experimental task so that you can track his progress toward achieving your goals. Experimental studies require significant preparation since nothing is done 'on the fly' when collecting data! Once all of these preparations are complete, it's time to actually start collecting your data! You need to properly implement each task so that each subject receives equal attention from your researchers and experts in your field and conduct unbiased assessment sessions on your behalf. Here are some tips for implementing each task: 

1) properly explain each task to each subject - make sure everyone understands what they're supposed 100% of subjects understand the goals of each task before implementing it! If they don't understand what you're asking them to do, 99% sure they'll misunderstand and refuse to participate! 

2) If a subject fails at completing any part of a task - make sure he understands what went wrong so he can avoid repeating that mistake in the future! 

3) If a subject refuses - calmly but firmly ask him if he will please cooperate with you during this portion of the study? Then skip through tasks until he complies with your request again! 

4) Promote emotional regulation during this portion of your experiment by providing positive reinforcement when subjects comply with your requests? Smile at subjects when they comply with requests for cooperation? 5);