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SHEILA A. PERALTA
Experimental Method: An In-Depth Look
JAMES L. PAGLINAWAN, PhD
Professor
Educ 241 (Research Methods in Education)

 Experimental Research Designs
 Experimental Research
 Experimental Method of Research
 Experimental Studies
 Experimenter
 Roles of the Experimenters
A. BACKGROUND

B. BASIC TERMINOLOGIES
 Experimental Research (ER)
 Experimental Design (ED)
 Independent Variable (IV)
 IV Examples
 Dependent Variable (DV)
 DV Examples

B. BASIC TERMINOLOGIES
 Control Variables (CtV)
 Random Variables (RD)
 Confounding Variables (CfV)
 Manipulation
 Control

C. EXPERIMENTAL PROCESS
 Steps when Conducting Experimental
Studies

Experimental Research Designs
 are often considered as the most “rigorous”
of all designs (Trochim, 2006), and
 probably the “strongest” design with
respect to internal validity (Davis, 2007).

Experimental Research
 is based on the assumption that the world
works according to causal laws. The goal of
experimental research is to establish these
cause-and effect laws by isolating causal
variables (Davis, 2007).

Experimental Method of Research
 is the most valid approach to test the
hypothesis concerning cause-effect
relationships.
Source: Prado, et.al (2011)

Experimental Studies
 when well conducted and appropriately
used can produce the best result
concerning hypothesized causal relations.

Experimenter
 is a research worker who conducts
experiments and a person who enjoys testing
innovative ideas (Mnemonic Dictionary,
2013).
 is a person who performs a scientific
procedure, especially in a laboratory, to
determine something and who tries out new
ideas, methods, or activities (Oxford
University Press, 2017) .

Roles of the Experimenters:
1. They are in constant activity from the very
beginning of the experiment.
2. They form or select the groups, decide what
is going to happen to each group, and try to
control all other relevant factors.

3. They manipulate at least one independent
variable, control other relevant variables, and
observe the effect on one or more
dependent variables.
4. Their goal is to establish cause effect
relationships between variables.

5. They are guided by at least a hypothesis
that states an expected causal relationship
between two variables.

Experimental Research (ER)
 An attempt by the researcher to maintain
control over all factors that may affect the
result of an experiment. In doing this, the
researcher attempts to determine or predict
what may occur (Key, 1997).
 The major feature that distinguishes
experimental research from other types of
research is that the researcher manipulates
the independent variable (Siegle, 2017).

Experimental Design (ED)
 It is a blueprint of the procedure that
enables the researcher to test his hypothesis
by reaching valid conclusions about
relationships between independent and
dependent variables. It refers to the
conceptual framework within which the
experiment is conducted.

 It guides the experimental study by
specifying:
1. what independent variables are to be
manipulated;
2. what dependent variable are to be
measured;

specifying:
3. what levels of experimental treatment
are to be used;
4. how to select test units and assign
them to different groups;

specifying:
5. how to control for selection bias and
6. how to minimize the influence of
extraneous variables on the result of
the experiment.

 the basic idea of experimental design
involves formulating a question and
hypothesis, testing the question, and
analyzing data (Biddix, 2017).

Independent Variable (IV)
 It is also referred to as the experimental
variable, the cause, or the treatment, is that
activity or characteristics believed to make a
difference. It has levels, conditions, or
treatments.

Note:
Experimenters may manipulate conditions, or
measure and assign subjects to conditions;
supposed to be the cause.

Examples:
 teaching method;
 type of teaching material;
 a reward;
 a period of exposure to a particular
condition;
 an attribute such as sex or level of
intelligence.

 may be classified as treatment variables and
attribute variables.

Treatment variables are those that the
experimenter manipulates and to which
subjects are assigned.
Attribute variables are those characteristics
that cannot be altered by the experimenter,
such as age, sex, race and intelligence level. The
experimenter can decide to include or remove
them as variables in the study.

Dependent Variable (DV)
 It is also referred to as the criterion variable,
effect or posttest, is the outcome of the
study, the change or difference in groups
that occurs as a result of manipulation of the
independent variable measured by the
experimenter.

Examples:
 test score
 mental ability of the participants
 the number of errors
 the mental health
Dependent Variable (DV)

Control Variables (CtV)
 These are the held constant by the
experimenter to eliminate them as potential
causes.
Example:
Only research participants who have been
problems with anxiety or depression
(Psychiatry)

Random Variables (RV)
 These are allowed to vary freely to eliminate
them as potential causes. Many other
characteristics of the research participants,
as long as they really do vary freely, might
include age, personality type or career goals.

Confounding Variables (CfV)
 These vary systematically with the
independent variable; may also be a cause.
Good experimental designs eliminate them.

 Raagas (2006) considered these as
extraneous variables.

Group 1
(CONTROL GROUP)
No Psychotherapy
Group 2
(EXPERIMENTAL GROUP)
Gets the New Psychotherapy
PARTICIPANTS’
EXPECTATIONS
We know that we
are getting new
treatment and we
are expecting to
get better!
We know that we
are not getting new
treatment and we
are expecting to get
worse!
RESULT:
Gets
better
Is a
CONFOUNDING
VARIABLE
Source: Davis (2007)
What is the
cause of the
improvement?
TREATMENT
CONFOUNDING
VARIABLE
MUST BE ELIMINATED
TO HAVE A
GOOD EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

Manipulation
Creating different level of
the independent variable
Manipulating
the variable
In an Experiment:
Source: Raagas (2006)
Independent Variable is
manipulated
Effect of each level of
manipulation on the
dependent variable is
observed
is known as

As a researcher, I
will decide what
forms or values
the independent
variable will take
and which group
will get which
form.
I can manipulate
the Methods of
Instructions and
Size of Groups.
However, I
cannot
manipulate
gender and
socioeconomic
status.
Manipulation

Control
 It refers to efforts on the part of the
researcher to remove the influence of any
variable (other than the independent variable)
that might affect performance on the
dependent variable (Gay, 1996)

Source: Gay(1996)
Control
 There are really two different kinds of
variables that need to be controlled:
subject variables, and
environmental variables

subject variables
 such as reading readiness, variable on which
subjects in the different groups might differ.
Control
Source: Gay(1996)

environmental variables
 such as learning materials, variable which
might cause unwanted differences between
groups.
Control
Source: Gay(1996)

 Methods of experimental control include:
(a) physical control;
(b) selective control; and
(c) statistical control
Control

(a) physical control
- which controls non experimental variables
that affect the dependent variable.
Control

(b) selective control
- which manipulates indirectly by selecting in
and out variables that cannot be controlled.
Control

(c) statistical control
- where variables conducive to physical or
selective manipulation may be controlled by
statistical technique, e.g. covariance.
Control

(f) formulation of conclusions
Steps when
Conducting
Experimental
Studies: (e) analysis of data
(d) execution of procedure
(c) selection of design
(b) selection of subjects and measuring instruments
(a) selection and definition of a problem

(f) Apply the appropriate test of
significance
Source: Key (1997)
Steps when
Conducting
Experimental
Studies:
(e) Compile raw data and reduce to
usable form
(d) Conduct the experiment
c) Construct an experimental design that represents all the
elements, conditions and relations of the consequences
(b) Formulate hypotheses and deduce their consequences
(a) Identify and define the problem

REFERENCES
Main Reference
Prado, N. I., et.al. 2011. Research Methods. Philippines: Central Mindanao University-IMDC. 12:205-209.
Used by the Authors of the Main Reference:
Davis, J. 2007. Experimental Research Methods. Metropolitan State College of Denver.
Gay, L.R. 1992. (4th Ed.) Educational Research-Competencies for Analysis and Application. Maxwell Macmillan, Canada Inc.
Key, J.P. 1997. Research Design in Occupational Education. Oklahoma State University. Retrieved from
http://www.okstate.edu/ag/aged.html.
Raagas, E. L. 2006. Experimental Designs. Lecture Notes shared during the PAGE Zonal Area Conference, VIP Hotel Cagayan de Oro
City.
Trochim, W. 2006. Research Methods Knowledge Base. Retrieved from http://socialresearchmethods.net/ kb/ deserper.htm.
Used by the Reporter
Biddix, J.P . 2017. Research Rundowns. University of Missouri - St. Louis: Higher Education and Research Methodology in
the Department of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology. Retrieved from https://researchrundowns.com/intro/experimental-
design/
Mnemonic Dictionary. 2013. Experimenter. Retrieved from http://www.mnemonicdictionary.com/word/ experimenter.
Oxford University Press. 2017. Experimenter. Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/ experimenter.
Siegle, D.2017. Experimental Research. Neag School of Education – University of Connecticut. Retrieved from
http://researchbasics.education.uconn.edu/ experimental-_research/

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