Research Portfolio: Experimental Design Mini-Study

This week’s mini-study will focus on experimental research methods. In order to conduct your experimental mini-study please complete the following:

• Identify your research question:
  • Discuss how you know that this research question is appropriate for experimental research methods.
• Identify your independent and dependent variables. Explain how you will operationally define these variables.
• Identify your study’s conditions
  • Treatment condition(s)
  • Control condition(s)
• Discuss the methods section of your study:
  • Participants-who will be included in your study. What sampling technique will you use?
  • Procedures-what will take place during your study? What instructions will be provided to participants?
  • Data-what data or evidence will you collect? How will this address your research question?
• Things to consider when designing your experimental mini-study include:
  • Validity- Think about the level of control you have over your variable of interest. Would an experiment or quasi-experiment be best given your research question? Would between participants or within participants designs help eliminate the possibility of confounding variables?
  • Reliability- How will your operational definitions contribute to concrete, unambiguous measurement of your dependent variable?
• Conduct your experimental mini-study
• Use the data collected to complete your experimental mini-study review