Define Independent Groups Design.

Define Independent Groups Design.

• A. Each participant either does the control condition OR the experimental condition.
• B. Each participant experiences both conditions.
• C. Conditions are alternated within participants.
• D. Participants are grouped by age and gender.

Answer: (A)

Independent Groups Design means that different participants are assigned to each condition, so each person experiences only one condition—either the control or the experimental condition. This is a between-subjects approach. It avoids carryover effects since participants aren’t exposed to both conditions, but it needs more participants and relies on random assignment to balance differences between groups. The other descriptions refer to different designs: having participants do both conditions is a within-subjects design; alternating conditions within participants is a form of counterbalancing in within-subjects designs; grouping participants by age and gender relates to sampling or matching variables, not the design itself.

Independent Groups Design means that different participants are assigned to each condition, so each person experiences only one condition—either the control or the experimental condition. This is a between-subjects approach. It avoids carryover effects since participants aren’t exposed to both conditions, but it needs more participants and relies on random assignment to balance differences between groups. The other descriptions refer to different designs: having participants do both conditions is a within-subjects design; alternating conditions within participants is a form of counterbalancing in within-subjects designs; grouping participants by age and gender relates to sampling or matching variables, not the design itself.