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1.6 Experimental Design Notes MAT 1260

This document describes the key aspects of designing experiments. It defines an experiment as a controlled study that varies explanatory factors to determine their effect on a response variable. It discusses the characteristics of experiments, including experimental units, treatments, control groups, and blinding. It also explains two common experimental designs: completely randomized designs, where units are randomly assigned to treatments, and matched-pairs designs, where subjects are paired before random assignment. Finally, it outlines the six main steps to designing an experiment: identifying the problem, determining factors, sample size, factor levels, conducting the experiment, and testing conclusions.

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61 views3 pages

1.6 Experimental Design Notes MAT 1260

This document describes the key aspects of designing experiments. It defines an experiment as a controlled study that varies explanatory factors to determine their effect on a response variable. It discusses the characteristics of experiments, including experimental units, treatments, control groups, and blinding. It also explains two common experimental designs: completely randomized designs, where units are randomly assigned to treatments, and matched-pairs designs, where subjects are paired before random assignment. Finally, it outlines the six main steps to designing an experiment: identifying the problem, determining factors, sample size, factor levels, conducting the experiment, and testing conclusions.

Uploaded by

esch9150
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Section 1.

6 – The Design of Experiments

Section Objectives
1. Describe the characteristics of an experiment
2. Explain the completely randomized design
3. Explain the matched-pairs design
4. Explain the steps in designing an experiment

Describe the Characteristics of an Experiment


Definition: Experiment
An experiment is a controlled study conducted to determine the effect of varying one or
more explanatory variables or factors has on a response variable.

Characteristics of an Experiment
 The experimental unit (subject) is the person or object upon which the treatment is
applied.

 The treatment is the factor applied to the subject to determine changes to explanatory
variables.

 The control group serves as the baseline treatment that can be used to compare it to
other treatments.
• Do students that use online homework perform better on exams? The control
group might be a group of students that use textbook homework.

 A placebo is a way to define a control group by using a "fake" treatment (like a sugar
tablet) that appears like the experimental medication.

 Blinding refers to nondisclosure of the treatment an experimental unit is receiving.


• Single-Blind: an experiment where the subject does not know what treatment
they are receiving.
• Double-Blind: an experiment where both the subject and researchers do not
know which treatment the subject is receiving.

Sanborn MAT 1260 Section 1.6 Page 1 of 3


Explain the Completely Randomized Design and the Matched-Pairs Design
Types of Experimental Design

A completely randomized design is one in which each experimental unit is randomly


assigned to a treatment.

A matched-pairs design is an experiment where the subjects are paired up, so they are
related in some way (same person before and after treatment, twins, spouses, same
geographical location,…). There are only two levels of treatment, randomly assigned.

Figure 1. Completely Randomized Design

Figure 2. Matched-Pairs Design

Sanborn MAT 1260 Section 1.6 Page 2 of 3


Explain the Steps in Designing an Experiment
Steps in Conducting an Experiment

1. Identify the problem to be solved


 Should be explicit
 Should provide the experimenter direction
 Should identify the response variable and the population to be studied
 Often referred to as the claim

2. Determine the factors that affect the response variable


 Once the factors are identified, it must be determined which factors are to be
fixed at some predetermined level (the control), which factors will be
manipulated, and which factors will be uncontrolled.

3. Determine the number of experimental units


 As a general rule, choose as many experimental units as time and money allow.

4. Determine the level of each factor


(1) Control: There are two ways to control the factors.
a. Set the level of a factor at one value throughout the experiment (if you are
not interested in its effect on the response variable).
b. Set the level of a factor at various levels (if you are interested in its effect
on the response variable). The combinations of the levels of all varied factors
constitute the treatments in the experiment.
(2) Randomize: Randomize the experimental units to various treatment groups so that
the effects of variables whose level cannot be controlled is minimized.

5. Conduct the experiment


a. Replication occurs when each treatment is applied to more than one
experimental unit.
b. Collect and process the data by measuring the value of the response variable for
each replication. Any difference in the value of the response variable is a result
of differences in the level of the treatment.

6. Test the claim


 Inferential statistics
 Generalizations about a population are made based on results obtained from a
sample.
 We will learn about this later this semester.

Sanborn MAT 1260 Section 1.6 Page 3 of 3

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