The overall strategy and structure for conducting an experiment, including how participants are assigned to conditions, what variables are manipulated and measured, and how confounding factors are controlled. Good design maximizes internal validity.
The systematic approach to experimentation developed through the work of Ronald Fisher in agriculture (1920s-30s) and was adapted for psychology. 'Design' from Latin designare (to mark out) emphasizes the deliberate planning required for valid experiments.
Experimental design is like architecture for research—a beautiful hypothesis can crumble with poor design! The best designs are elegant in their simplicity, controlling what matters while keeping everything else constant.
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