Experimental Research Designs Essay

.:5. What is the purpose of the control group in the Scientific Method? Briefly explain and use examples. (5 points)

Research can be used in many methods, for example: questionnaires, television, leaflets, books etc. it allows us to keep up to date on the new findings or discoveries e.g. a new type of cancer or a new vaccination. Research is the investigation into

Research can be defined as the search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, with an open mind, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories. Research can be divided into different steps in order to understand the whole process more in depth. The first step towards conducting research is to observe. Consistst of the subject area of ones interest and following that subject area to conduct subject related research. The subject area should not be randomly chosen since it requires reading a vast amount of

WHAT IS RESEARCH? It is a planned process whereby information is collected for a specific purpose, analysed and reported.

Describe the experimental method, state its advantages and disadvantages, and distinguish between independent and dependent variables.

Describe the experimental method, state its advantages and disadvantages, and distinguish between independent and dependent variables.

Experimental research concentrates on how and why something happens. It is the evaluation of how an independent variable (a manipulated factor) affects a dependent variable (an observed factor). The outcome can be affected by a number of elements; obtaining random and representative samples of the study population, experimenter bias and extraneous variables.

The results section should include observations and data. Results are information translated into a more organized and understood form.

The next step is to form a testable hypothesis, or educated guess. A hypothesis must phrased in a way that in which another person can test the same hypothesis to verify or discredit it. After the hypothesis is formed, the experimenter must choose and appropriate research study. For example, if a scientist want to do a study about the behaviors of a particular person, like in the case Phineas Gage and the psychological affects of the iron rod that shot through his head, than the scientist may want to conduct a case study. Once the research method is established and the study has been planned out, then it is time to conduct the experiment and collect the data. The final step is to analyze the data to see if it supports or rejects the hypothesis. If the results do not support the hypothesis, then one should revise their hypothesis. If the results do support the hypothesis, then the study should be replicated to validate this study. Sharing the results of the experiment with other members of the scientific community is also an important part is advancing one’s understanding of the particular

The researchers analyzed the data they collected as though it were at what level of measurement?

7. Controlled experiment- An experiment that only tests one variable and the group being tested (experimental group) is compared to the control group (the group that isn’t testing the variable).

Experimental design research tends to use math and statistics to try to prove or disprove a hypothesis. Within an experimental design most of the research is controlled and leaves little room for error. One advantage of experimental design is that it is hard to disprove the results. However, a disadvantage is that because the conditions are controlled that makes the results too perfect. If the same experiment was conducted in an uncontrolled setting, such as the real world, the results would vary.

A good scientific experiment has to answer a testable and well-defined question. It also has to be systematic and controlled. A Scientific experiment that lacks one these features will most likely be flawed.

True experimental research design includes random selection and group assignment of participants, manipulation of variables and observing the effect that the manipulation has on the dependant variable to establish whether a cause and effect relationship is present between the variables (Follmer Greenhoot, 2003, pp. 92-93). An example of a commonly used true experimental research designs, are experiments used for testing the effects of new pharmaceuticals.

Quantitative research design is an excellent way of finalizing results and proving or disproving a hypothesis. The structure has not changed for centuries, so is standard across many scientific fields and disciplines. After statistical analysis of the results, a comprehensive answer is reached, and the results can be legitimately discussed and published. Quantitative experiments