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Experimental Designs

Experimental Designs

An experimental design is a systematic process that allows researchers to evaluate the relationship between dependent and independent variables. There are three widely used types of experimental design - pre-experimental design, true experimental design, and quasi-experimental design. In pre-experimental design, the researcher compares the data before and after some interventions or treatments. The true-experimental design has more than one purposefully created group, a commonly measured...

Data Collection by Experiments

Data Collection by Experiments

Data collection is a systematic method of obtaining, observing, measuring, and analyzing accurate information. An experimental study is a standard method of data collection that involves the manipulation of the samples by applying some form of treatment prior to data collection. It refers to manipulating one variable to determine its changes on another variable. The sample subjected to treatment is known as “experimental units.”
An example of the experimental method is a public clinical trial...

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, or SPSS, is a data management and analysis software suite. Developed by SPSS Inc. in 1968 and acquired by IBM in 2009, this tool was initially designed for social science data analysis, evolving to serve a wider range of disciplines. It was later renamed to Statistical Product and Service Solutions.
SPSS streamlines the process from data preparation to analysis and reporting. It is characterized by its user-friendly interface, which conceals...

Observational Studies

Observational Studies

Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...

Crossover Experiments

Crossover Experiments

Crossover experiments, also called the repeated-measurements design, is a study design in which all experimental units are exposed to all treatments in different periods. Crossover experiments are generally used in psychology, the pharmaceutical industry, agriculture, and medicine.
Crossover designs are performed even with smaller sample sizes since the samples can act as their controls. These are better than simple randomized trials since patients are exposed to all the treatments.

Randomized Experiments

Randomized Experiments

The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

Interactive and Visualized Online Experimentation System for Engineering Education and Research

Interactive and Visualized Online Experimentation System for Engineering Education and Research

Published on: November 24, 2021

OpenSesame: an open-source, graphical experiment builder for the social sciences.

Sebastiaan Mathôt¹, Daniel Schreij, Jan Theeuwes

¹Department of Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. s.mathot@vu.nl

Behavior Research Methods

|November 16, 2011

Summary

OpenSesame is a free, open-source graphical experiment builder for social sciences. It offers an intuitive interface and Python scripting for creating complex research tasks.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Cognitive Science
Neuroscience
Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

Designing experiments for the social sciences can be complex and time-consuming.
Existing software may have limitations in flexibility or cost.
There is a need for accessible, powerful tools for researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

Introduce OpenSesame, a new graphical experiment builder.
Provide a free and open-source solution for social science research.
Enhance the capabilities of researchers in experiment design and execution.

Main Methods:

Developed OpenSesame as a cross-platform application.
Implemented a comprehensive and intuitive graphical user interface (GUI).
Integrated Python scripting for advanced customization and complex task support.

Main Results:

OpenSesame offers a user-friendly platform for experiment creation.
Extensibility through plug-ins allows for specialized hardware integration (e.g., eyetrackers).
Compatibility with existing software facilitates seamless integration into current research workflows.

Conclusions:

OpenSesame provides a versatile and accessible tool for social science researchers.
The software empowers researchers to design and implement sophisticated experiments efficiently.
OpenSesame promotes open science principles through its free and open-source nature.