EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

P . GAYATHRI - 2014802004U.KAAVIYA PRIYA – 2014802007M.Arch – Landscape , 3rd SEMESTER.

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH :

The purpose of the experimental research design is to enable researcher to

establish a cause-effect relationship. The experimental researcher is

seeking to restrain and measure the extend to which a treatment causes a

clearly measured outcome within a specified research setting, whether

in a laboratory or field.

The underlying character of experimental research includes:

•The use of treatment or independent variable

•The measurement of outcome or dependent variable

•A clear unit of assignment to the treatment

•The use of a comparison and control group

•A focus on casuality.

State the research problem

Determine if experimental methods apply

Specify the independent variable(s)

Specify the dependent variable(s)

State the tentative hypotheses

Determine measures to be used

Pause to consider potential success

Identify intervening (extraneous) variables

Formal statement of research hypotheses

Design the experiment

Final estimate of potential success

Conduct the study as planned

Analyze the collected data

Prepare a research report

STEPS IN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

EXPERIMENT 1 EXPERIMENT 2

Givoni conducted experiment on the

performance of various building

components.

Givoni tested three distinct conditions

of insulation operation:

1)With the insulation panels closed

both day and night;

2)With the insulation panels open at

night and closed during the day; and

3)With the insulation positioned as in

condition 2, but with the addition of a

small ventilating fan from midnight to 5

am.

In addition thermal mass were also

tested.

Ann Sloan Devlin sought to discover the extent to which gender might have an effect on how job applicants are evaluated in architectural practice.

MALE FEMALE 4 treatment condition JUNIOR SENIOR

Resume were made for 4 sets of

combinations and the evaluation of

acceptance & rejection level is

calculated among male & female

architects.

Women architects are less favorably

rated than male architects in job

selection.

UNDERLYING CHARECTERISTICS

EXPERIMENT 1 (GIVONI) EXPERIMENT 2 ( DEVLIN)

1. Use of a treatment or independent variables.

Thermal impact under conditions : insulation, venting fan & thermal mass.

Gender designation.

2. Measurement of 1 or more Outcome variable.

Temperature reading of indoor areas.

Evaluation / hiring decision.

3. The designation of unit of assignment.(both the cases receive treatments manipulated by researcher)

Small scale model of metal roofed residential units.

Individual architects.

4. Use of a comparison or Control group.( standard condition to which comparison is made. State at which no treatment is applied.)

Insulation panels closed both day & night.

Different treatments compared against each other.

UNDERLYING CHARECTERISTICS

EXPERIMENT 1 (GIVONI) EXPERIMENT 2 ( DEVLIN)

5. A focus on causality.( relation between causes & effect.)

Takes casualties as granted in environmental technology.

Takes casualties with limitations in sociocultural aspects. (finding out reasons for interpretation)

• The use of laboratory

settings where

relevant variables can

be easily controlled.

• Dependent variables

that are in many

instances inert and are

not likely to change

except as a

consequence of the

treatment.

• Instruments that are

calibrated to give such

effects.

• Many respondents

explained that they

found it hard to rate

the applicants because

the resume

information was so

limited.

EXPERIMENTAL AND QUASI EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH :

•The distinguishing factor between experimental and quasi experimental

research is the selection of units of assignment.

•In experimental research the variables can be assessed through random

assignment where as in quasi experimental which often involved in field

settings people or group cant be randomly assigned for ethical or practical

reasons so that the researcher tries to compare as many variables as

possible.

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH:

Random assignment play an important role in experimental research when

there is reason to believe that the units of assignment are not completely

equivalent.

Experiment 1 : in the gender discrimination study devlin was able to employ

random assignment even though it is a field study because of manipulative

resume conditions rather than real life applicant resumes. It provided a

greater level of assurance that the gender of applicant actually had an effect

on the male architects evaluation.

Experiment 2 : research based on inert materials does not require such

randomization measure because of the standard character of the materials

that can be tested under various physical condition for different outcomes.

QUASI EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH:

In some field studies random assignments cannot be achieved for

ethical or practical reasons.

experiment : if a researcher wanted to test the effect of 4 lighting

systems on employee in four separate office areas it is unlikely

that managers would agree their employees to assign their

employees in four different areas that would disrupt the functions.

In such situations they would identify 4 existing groups each of

which would receive different lighting treatment. In doing so the

researcher would attempt to find work groups in as many

respects as possible. – task or work objectives, mix of job types,

gender mix, age, level of education, etc.

DIAGRAMMING EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN

This notation system conveys the following essential points about the

design of this study ;

1)There is no explicit attention paid to random assignment, since all the

relevant procedures deal with standardized inert materials;

2)There are three different treatment conditions in addition to the control

conditions; and

3)Only posttest observations are made.

Diagrammatic expression of experimental research.

R = random assignment

X = experimental treatment

O = observations of the following coding systems.

GIVONI :

TACTICS :

A plan for attaining a particular goal that involve the setting,

treatment and measure .

ADVANTAGES OF EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

Control Over Variables

This research aids in controlling independent variables for the

experiments aim to remove extraneous and unwanted variables. The

control over the irrelevant variables is higher as compared to other

research types or methods.

Easy Determination of Cause and Effect Relationship

The experimental design of this type of research includes

manipulating independent variables to easily determine the cause

and effect relationship.

Better Results

Due to the control set up by experimenter and the strict conditions,

better results can be achieved.

Another good thing about experimental research is that experiments

can be repeated and results can be checked again.

DISADVANTAGES OF EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

Failure to do Experiment

One of the disadvantages of experimental research is that you cannot do

experiments at times because you cannot manipulate independent variables

either due to ethical or practical reasons. Taking for instance a situation

wherein you are enthusiastic about the effects of an individual’s culture or the

tendency of helping strangers, you cannot do the experiment. The reason for

this is simply because you are not capable of manipulating the individual’s

culture.

Creates Artificial Situations

Another disadvantage of experimental research is that this controls irrelevant

variables at times and this also means creating situations that are somehow

artificial.

Subject to Human Error

Just like any other type of research, experimental research is also subjected to

human error and this will somehow affect the efficiency of the results.