ABSTRACT
To compare note-taking using pen and laptop, Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) used two independent groups of students. An alternative would be to ask a single group to use pens one day and laptops another day, so each student would provide a transcription score for both conditions. We’d then be able to compare pen and laptop within participants, rather than between participants as in the independent groups design. A single group and comparison within participants gives us the paired design, which is the second basic design we’ll discuss for comparing two conditions. It’s not always possible-think of comparing females and males-but, when it is, it can often be efficient and give relatively precise estimates. However, using a pen one day can influence performance with a laptop on another day-practice at the task, perhaps, or boredom with being in the study. We’ll discuss ways to minimize this problem that can, in some cases, justify a causal conclusion, which is what we always seek.
