Math Snap
PROBLEM
Imagine you are a business consultant who collects data for a company on employee job
performance. You are particularly interested in how training and employee self-direction (autonomy)
impact job performance. You evaluate employee scores on a measure of autonomy and divide
them into 2 groups, low autonomy and high autonomy. Then, you measure everyone's job
performance before training, then everyone's job performance after training.
5
4.5
4
Job performance
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
Low training High training
Low autonomy
High autonomy
Is this a between, within, or mixed design?
between subjects design
mixed design
within subjects design
unable to determine from question
STEP 1
What is this asking?
We need to figure out what kind of experimental design is being used to study the effects of training and autonomy on job performance.
Watch out!
Don't get confused between the different types of experimental designs: between-subjects, within-subjects, and mixed designs.
STEP 2
1. Analyze the groups
2. Determine the design
STEP 3
We're told that employees are divided into two groups based on their autonomy: low autonomy and high autonomy.
This sounds like we're comparing different groups of people.
STEP 4
Then, everyone's job performance is measured before and after training.
This means the same people are being measured multiple times.
STEP 5
A between-subjects design involves comparing different groups of people.
We definitely have that here with the low and high autonomy groups!
STEP 6
A within-subjects design involves measuring the same people multiple times.
We also have that here, with job performance measured before and after training!
STEP 7
A mixed design combines both between-subjects and within-subjects components.
Since we have both of these components present, this must be a mixed design!
SOLUTION
This is a mixed design.
