Designing and Conducting an

Experiment
 • is a set of procedures that is used by the
investigator to be able to collect necessary
information that is needed to verify or test
the truthfulness of the hypothesis or to
Experiment answer the research questions.

• all the essential conditions are controlled

so that the results can only be attributed
to the independent variable.
Basic Concepts of Experiment

• Experiments as mentioned earlier are done under controlled conditions, so

that desired results can be achieved. Important concepts must be
considered in learning about designing and conducting experiments.
Study the diagram below.
 Basic Concepts of Experiment
SET-UP OF THE EXPERIMENT
CONCEPTS
EXPERIMENTAL CONTROL + CONTROL -

Independent Variable is the factor that

affects the other variable. This is also the
factor that causes a particular effect or Organic fertilizer Commercial fertilizer Without fertilizer
condition. This factor is manipulated by
the experimenter.
Dependent Variable is the factor or Growth of pechay plants Growth of pechay plants Growth of pechay plants
condition that might be affected. Effect in terms of height in terms of height in terms of height
that is observed or measured. (measured in centimeter) (measured in centimeter) (measured in centimeter)
Controlled Variables are the factors that Kind of Pechay Plant Kind of Pechay Plant Kind of Pechay Plant
are maintained in the experiment. This is Type of Soil Type of Soil Type of Soil
done to avoid other factors to intervene in Amount of water Amount of water Amount of water
the results. Amount of sunlight Amount of sunlight Amount of sunlight
Replication is the number of samples used
10 Pechay Plants 10 Pechay Plants 10 Pechay Plants
per treatment.
 The purpose of the control group or control
treatment is for comparison.

• There are two types of control groups in experiments: negative control and
positive control.
• A negative control group receives a negative control treatment (this is without
treatment or a treatment that will not give an effect).
• A positive control group receives a positive control treatment, a treatment that is
already known for a particular effect.
What is Experimental Design?

• Experimental Design is the major plan on how to distribute each sample to the
treatments (independent variable) in random or randomized manner.
• This plan deals with how samples are to be selected for the experimental and
control groups, the ways through which the variables are to be manipulated and
controlled, the ways in which extraneous variables are to be controlled, how
observation are to be made, and the type of statistical analysis to be employed.
• There are two basic types of experimental designs:
Complete Randomized Design and Randomized Complete Block Design
Complete Randomized Design (CRD)

• In this type of experimental design, the samples are distributed to specific

treatments (independent variables).
• This type of design is used when the experimental samples are homogeneous,
which means that the samples are sharing similar characteristics such as age,
gender, weight, type of species and type of management of samples.
Homogeneity of samples will ensure that the results are mainly caused by the
experimental treatment (independent variable) and not because of the samples.
Consider the investigation of Maria Paula about the green peas
plants. Maria Paula used 4 replicates and distributed samples
in 5 treatments (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% & 20%).

• Statistics that should be used

to compare difference of growth
in terms of height is One-Way
Analysis of Variance since there
are four treatments in the
experiment. If there are two (2)
means from two treatments, t-
test should be used.
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
• This type of design groups samples into blocks because of known variations in the
samples or in the condition of the area where the experiment is to be conducted.
• For example, in field studies such as application of a fertilizer in the field, there are a
lot of extraneous variables that might affect the experiment such as the condition of the
soil, animal feces, in some parts of the area where the experiment will be conducted.
• Another variation is in the part of the samples in terms of age, size and gender. If the
variation is in the samples the best way is to distribute these variations into groups
called blocks where each sample in the block represents a variation.
• Therefore, this design can give results that are due to the differences in the treatments
and not because of the variations. Treatments (independent variables) are assigned at
random within each block of adjacent samples; each treatment is given once per
sample in each block.
Consider the illustration of this design below.

• Statistics to be used in the sample

diagram of RCBD is One-Way Analysis of
Variance because there are three (3)
treatments used.