Experimental Record Keeping

In psychological research, what is the primary function of a written protocol?

An experimenter who slightly adjusts their spoken instructions based on whether a participant seems confused is correctly adhering to a written protocol.

A lead researcher is training a team of assistants for a new study. To ensure scientific rigor and minimize unintended variation, she develops a comprehensive written protocol. Match each specific challenge the research team might face to the corresponding component of the protocol that provides the standardized solution.

Based on the requirements of a written protocol, arrange the following experimental scenarios in order from the highest degree of standardization (1) to the lowest degree of standardization (3).

In psychological research, which of the following best describes the content included in a comprehensive written protocol?

In psychological research, a comprehensive written protocol is used to standardize every phase of the experiment. Match each component of the protocol with the primary reason it is included to ensure scientific rigor.

A researcher critiquing a study's methodology finds that experimenters were permitted to use their own discretion when explaining the task, which introduced unintended variation. To ensure that experimenter behavior does not become a confounding variable, the researcher should have required the use of a(n) _____.