A matched pairs design involves
A) randomly assigning participants to groups and then matching pairs of participants.
B) matching pairs of participants on a variable and then randomly assigning one member of each pair to each group.
C) matching pairs of participants on a variable and then randomly assigning half the pairs of each group.
D) an attempt to control for order effects.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a matched pairs design, pairs of participants are matched on a variable (such as age, gender, or IQ) and then one member of each pair is randomly assigned to each group. This helps to control for individual differences that could otherwise affect the results, making the design more powerful and precise. Option A involves random assignment and then matching, which could potentially undo the matching process. Option C involves random assignment of only half the pairs to each group, which could result in unbalanced groups. Option D refers to a different type of design (within-subject or counterbalanced).

A Matched Pairs Design Involves