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Understanding Quantitative Methods for Research: Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis

Dive into the philosophy and techniques behind conducting experiments, including statistical analysis, to gather evidence and test theories effectively. Learn about the pillars of experimental design and the importance of validity in research. Develop research questions and explore the relationship between independent and dependent variables.

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Understanding Quantitative Methods for Research: Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis

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  1. Quantitative Methods forResearchers Paul Cairns paul.cairns@york.ac.uk

  2. Your objectives • Pretty general! • Landscape/area of experiments • Research topic?

  3. My objectives • Three pillars • Experimental design • Statistics • Writing up • Need all three for good research

  4. Why do we do experiments?

  5. Philosophy of experiments • Test theories • Isolate phenomena • Severely test

  6. Some consequences • Intrinsic value • Big is not always better • Narrow focus is essential

  7. Experimental argument • Belief: X causes Y • A reason for looking • Try: change X and measure Y • Analyse carefully • Produce evidence

  8. Statistical experiments • Natural variation • People, environment, stochastic • Systematic vs chance differences • No certainty

  9. Devising an experiment • Research question (disposable) • One sentence • May use jargon • Answer is “yes/no” but probably “maybe” • Question suggests how to answer it QUAN, Paul Cairns

  10. Devise a research question In groups of two or three, each have a go at a research question. Take turns to explain and be criticised. Be happy to be wrong/stupid. RQs are disposable. QUAN, Paul Cairns

  11. Experimental Design • Addresses question • Validity • Design => Data => Results

  12. Variables • Independent variable (IV, X) • Experimental conditions • Dependent variable (DV, Y) • quantitative • Confounding variables

  13. Validity • Construct –measuring DV • possible, meaningful? • Internal – addressing question • confounds • External - generalisability • Ecological - realism

  14. Fantasy abstract • Write an abstract for your experiment (150-250 words) specifying: • What the question is • [Why it is interesting/important] • What was done in the experiment • What IV and DV are • What significant results [would] show • What this means

  15. Reading • Hacking, Representing and Intervening • Cairns, Cox, Research Methods for HCI: chaps 1, 6, 10 • Harris, Designing and reporting experiments in psychology, 3rd edn

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