Experimental research design is aimed at studying the causal relationships between two variables. Most often, two variables are used: the independent or influence variable, and the dependent, which is the one that is being influenced. Experimental research design suggests that the independent variable will have some influence on the dependent one (Rogers, 2020). The quality of such a method usually lies in its reliability and relevance. Also, the quality of the method may suffer due to various reasons: problems with the context of the experiment, incorrect data collection, and the characteristics of the participants.
The experimental research design can be used to study the effects of damage to the parietal lobe on the performance of elementary arithmetic. Thus, in one of the studies conducted using this method, it was found that damage to the parietal lobe affects the overall ability to learn (Valdois, 2019). The researchers examined how the first variable affected the second: the effect of parietal lobe damage on the ability to read and count. So, with the help of an experimental research, it was proved that such a trauma affects the development of attention in children and adults. This, in turn, makes it difficult for the process to perform elementary arithmetic tasks.
When studying how depression affects the number of close friends a person has, the experimental research method may not be as effective. As mentioned earlier, this method explores the independent variable and the dependent variable, but also has a number of limitations. So, in this case, the dependent variable is the number of friends a person with depression has. It should be understood that such a variable as the number of friends cannot be constant, because these are real people. Some studies have shown that often a person suffering from depression, indeed, reduces the circle of close friends (Pössel, 2018). However, this result does not depend on the depression itself, nor on friends. The number of friends depends only on the people themselves who face and struggle with depression. Thus, this method will not help to identify the dependence of the presence of depression on the number of close friends.
To effectively determine how group training affects adults and children with Asperger’s syndrome, many researchers do use experimental research design. Thus, some researchers created three groups consisting of children and adolescents with Asperged’s syndrome in order to test what effect group classes will have on their treatment (Dekker, 2019). By tracing the effect of the first variable, that is group training, on the second, the outcome of treatment, they were able to draw several conclusions. Having proved that, indeed, socialization and group therapy have a positive effect on the treatment process, the researchers also confirmed the effectiveness of this method.
The method of experimental research design might be effective in studying the impact of the payment for taking IQ tests on its results. Thus, the researchers can put together two groups, where in one people will not be paid for the tests, and in the second they will receive money. Thus, it might be possible to identify how the money variable will affect the second variable, that is, the result of this test. It can be assumed that it is the payment that will provoke the participants of the experiment to take the IQ test more seriously and get better results. Therefore, this method would help to trace the causal relationship between money and results.
References
Dekker, V., Nauta, M. H., Timmerman, M. E., Mulder, E. J., van der Veen-Mulders, L., van den Hoofdakker, B. J.,… & de Bildt, A. (2019). Social skills group training in children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized controlled trial. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 28(3), 415-424. Web.
Pössel, P., Burton, S. M., Cauley, B., Sawyer, M. G., Spence, S. H., & Sheffield, J. (2018). Associations between social support from family, friends, and teachers and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Journal of youth and adolescence, 47(2), 398-412. Web.
Rogers, J., & Révész, A. (2020). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs. The Routledge handbook of research methods in applied linguistics. Routledge.
Valdois, S., Lassus-Sangosse, D., Lallier, M., Moreaud, O., & Pisella, L. (2019). What bilateral damage of the superior parietal lobes tells us about visual attention disorders in developmental dyslexia. Neuropsychologia, 130, 78-91. Web.