EXPERIMENTAL

DESIGNS
By: MIGUEL P. GOMEZ JR.

MOTIVATION : OBJECT
ASSEMBLY

Experimental Design: The Basic

Building Blocks
Experimental

design

The general plan for selecting participants,

assigning participants to experimental conditions,
controlling extraneous variables, and gathering
data.

Smith/Davis (c) 2005 Prentice

Hall

Research design

It is a master plan specifying the methods

and procedures for collecting and
analyzing the needed information in a
research study.
Are of four kinds: historical design (focused
in the past what was); descriptive design
(focused in the present condition what
is); experimental design (future what will
be); and case study design (past, present
and future).

Experimental research design

It is a problem-solving approach that the study is
described in the future on what will be when certain
variables are carefully controlled or manipulated.
This design is most useful in the natural sciences such
as Botany, Zoology, Biology, Phycology, Ichthyology,
Chemistry, Physics, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology,
Microbiology, Biotechnology and many others.
the researcher selects participants and divides them into
two or more groups having similar characteristics and,
then, applies the treatment(s) to the groups and
measures the effects upon the groups.

Types of Experimental
Design
1. Single-group design. This design involves a
single treatment with two or more levels.
Illustration:
A researcher wishes to study the effect of
different levels of nitrogen on the yield of
peanuts. In this experimental study, nitrogen as
a single treatment used in different levels as
fertilizer in planting peanut can be 60-30-30
(NPK); 90-30-30 (NPK); 120-30-30 (NPK) and so
on. N stands for nitrogen, P- Phosphorus and K
Potassium.

Did you know?

Nitrogen is primarily responsible for vegetative growth.

Nitrogen assimilation into amino acids is the building
block for protein in the plant. It is a component of
chlorophyll and is required for several enzyme reactions.
Phosphorus is a major component in plant DNA and RNA.
Phosphorus is also critical in root development, crop
maturity and seed production.
The role of potassium in the plant is indirect, meaning
that it does not make up any plant part. Potassium is
required for the activation of over 80 enzymes
throughout the plant. It's important for a plant's ability to
withstand extreme cold and hot temperatures, drought
and pests. Potassium increases water use efficiency and
transforms sugars to starch in the grain-filling process.

Single Group Design

The single group design is a design in which a group of

subjects are administered a treatment and then measured

(or observed).
Usually, with this design, an intact group of subjects is
given the treatment and then measured or observed.
No attempt is made to randomly assign subjects to the
groups, nor does the design provide for any additional
groups as comparisons.

Single Group Design

Single Group design does

NOT have experimental group

and control group

Example :
Problem
Effect of Leaf Extract A on

Bacterium A

Sampling Unit: Leaf extract

Subjects: Bacterium A grown on

Petri Plates

Single Group Design

Single Group Design

Suppose a group of

students were
experimented to know
the effectiveness of the 3
methods of teaching the
subject english.

Single Group Design

If the F test or analysis of variance is

significant, then this means the achievements

of this students using three methods of
teaching English really differ with each other.
If F test or analysis of variance says
otherwise, then this means the achievements
of this students are almost the same.

2. Two-group design. Two comparable groups are

employed as experimental and control groups.
Illustration:
Suppose a researcher wishes to study the
growth rate of groupers (lapu lapu) cultured in
fish cage with and without supplemental feeds.
Grouper cultured in fish cage with supplemental
feed constitutes the experimental group and the
other one cultured in a fish cage without
supplemental feed constitutes the control group.
The t-test is used to determine the significant
difference in the mean weight of grouper cultured
in fish cage with and without supplemental feeds.

Table 2.1. Sample of Two-group Design

Weights of Groupers (grams)

Mean

Control group
( without
supplemental
feed)

30

31

33

3
0

3
3

3
2

35

36

33

32

Experimental
group (with
supplemental
feed)

45

47

58

6
0

5
7

6
0

62

58

58

57

The Two-Group Design

Experimental

In a two-group design, the group of participants

that receives the IV.

Control

group

group

In a two-group design, the group of participants

that does not receive the IV.

Smith/Davis (c) 2005 Prentice

Hall

3. Two-pair group design. This design is an

elaboration of the two group design wherein there
are two experimental groups and two control groups.
Illustration:
Suppose an investigator wishes to study the
acceptability, nutritive values, and economics of
canned milkfish (Chanos chanos) in salmon and
Spanish styles with and without Sargassum (brown
seaweed)are the two control groups and canned
milkfish in salmon and Spanish styles with Sargassum
as sea vegetables are the two experimental groups.
The ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) is used to
determine the significant difference on the
acceptability, nutritive values and economics of
canned milkfish.

Table 3.1. The acceptability/ nutritive value of

canned milkfish (Chanos chanos) in salmon and
Spanish styles with and without Sargassum (brown
seaweed).
Control Group
1

Experimental
Group 1
Canned
milkfish in
Salmon style
(with
sargassum
seaweed)

Control Group
2

Experimental
Group 2

Canned
milkfish in
Spanish style
(without
sargassum
seaweed)

Canned
milkfish in
Spanish style
(with
sargassum
seaweed)

10

Mean = 6.33

Mean = 8.67

Mean = 5.67

Mean = 9.0

Canned
milkfish in
Salmon style
(without
sargassum
seaweed)

4. Parallel-group design. This type of experimental design

consists of three or more groups wherein one group is
control group with two or more experimental groups. The
control group or parallel group serves as control or basis for
comparison of the experimental groups which is manipulated
or changed, but the experimental groups vary.
Illustration 1:
For instance, a researcher wishes to determine the
acceptability of canned short-bodied mackerel in salmon
style with and without seaweeds as sea vegetables. The
control group is canned mackerel in salmon style without
seaweed and has two experimental groups, namely, canned
mackerel with Sargassum and canned mackerel with
Halymenia. All things are held constant, except the
experimental groups that have an addition of seaweeds or
sea vegetables.
ANOVA is used to determine the significant difference on
the acceptability of canned mackerel in salmon style with of
without seaweeds.

Canned Mackerel
Panelist

R . b rachyosomus

Control Group
(without seaweeds)

Experimental
Sargassum

Groups (with
Seaweeds Halymenia)

10

Illustration 2:
Suppose the researcher wishes to conduct a study on
the effectiveness of culturing commercial catfish using,
soybean meal, meat and bone meal, blood meal, and fish
meal as protein supplements. Fish meal is the control
group or parallel group and the experimental groups are
meat and bone meal, blood meal, and soybean as protein
supplements. Mean and ANOVA: two-factor or F-test: twofactor are the statistical tools used to determine the mean
weight of catfish and significant difference on the mean
weight. If significant difference exists on the mean weight
of catfish, this means protein supplements really differ on
the weight of catfish because one protein supplement is
most effective. If insignificant difference exists, thus the
weight of catfish using the four protein supplements are
almost the same.

Table 4.1. Sample Parallel-Group Design on the

Effectiveness of Culturing Commercial Catfish
Using Soybean Meal, Meat and Bone Meal,
Blood Meal and Fish Meal as Protein
Supplements

Protein Supplements
Researc
h
Stations

Fish Meal

1
2
3

X
X
X

(Control
Group)
Wt. (kg)

Meat and Blood Meal

Soybean
Bone Meal
(Experimental Group)
Wt. (kg)
Wt. (kg)
Wt. (kg)

X
X
X

X
X
X

X
X
X

When will we use ANOVA?

ANOVA is used when your research
calls for comparison of the means of two
or more groups. The F test is a global test
and as such one test in an analysis is
done.

Therefore Parallel group design is a design in which

two or more groups are used at the same time.
This design has a control group, parallel group and
experimental group.
CONTROL GROUP- manipulated for change.
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP- this is the group that
varies.
Parallel Group-Serves as control for comparative
purposes.

5. Pre-test and Post-test group design. This design

involves the experimental group and the control
group which are carefully selected through
randomization procedures. Both groups are given
pretest at the beginning of the semester and
posttest at the end of the semester. But the control
group is isolated from all experimental influences.
A pretest posttest design is an experiment where
measurements are taken both before and after a
treatment. The design means that you are able to
see the effects of some type of treatment on a
group.

A pretest-posttest design is usually a

quasi-experiment where participants are
studied
before
and
after
the
experimental manipulation. Remember,
quasi-experimental
simply
means
participants are not randomly assigned.
It is possible to have a control group, or
a group who doesn't receive the
manipulation. In a pretest-posttest
design, there is only one group and all of
them are in the experimental condition.

The reason you run a pretest-posttest

experiment is to see if your manipulation, the
thing you're looking at, has caused a change
in the participants. Since everyone is being
manipulated in the same way, any changes
you see across the group of participants is
likely from the manipulation. This means you
test them before doing the experiment, then
you run your experimental manipulation, and
then you test them again to see if there are
any changes.

6. Three-group design. In this design, there are three groups

of independent variables.
Illustration:
Suppose the researcher wishes to conduct a study on the
effect of using direct seeding, transplanting, and using stem
cuttings in growing of Moringa oleifera at the municipal
grounds of Barotac Viejo. These three methods of culturing
Moringa oleifera are independent variables and the
dependent variable is the weight of Moringa oleifera. Mean
and ANOVA, two-factor or F-test: two-factor are the statistical
tools used. Mean is used to determine the mean weight of
Moringa per method. ANOVA or F-test is used to test the
significant difference on the weight of Moringa of the three
methods. If significant difference exists, this means the three
methods of growing Moringa oleifera really differ with each
other because one method is most effective. If insignificant
difference exists, hence, the weight of Moringa oleifera using
the three methods are almost the same.

Table 6.1. Sample of Three-Group Design on the Effect

of Using Direct Method, Transplanting Method and Using
Stem Cuttings in Growing Moringa oleifera at the
Municipal Grounds of Barotac Viejo
Research
Stations

1
2
3
4
5

Methods of Growing Moringa

Oleifera
Direct
Weight (kg)

Transplanting
Weight (kg)

Stem Cuttings
Weight (kg)

X
X
X
X
x

X
X
X
X
x

X
X
X
X
x

7. Counter-balanced or Latin square

design. This design is also called rotation
design. It involves an exchange of two or
more treatments taken by the subjects
during the experiment. The arrangement
employed in the design is Latin square in
which each variable is a form of square
occurring once in each row or column. This
is called quasi-experimental design.

Latin Square Design

If you can block on two (perpendicular) sources of
variation (rows x columns) you can reduce
experimental error when compared to the RBD
More restrictive than the RBD
The total number of plots is the square of the
number of treatments
Each treatment appears once and only once in each
row and column
A B C D
B C D

C D A B
D A B C

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantage:
Allows the experimenter to control two sources of
variation
Disadvantages:
The experiment becomes very large if the number
of treatments is large
The statistical analysis is complicated by missing
plots and misassigned treatments
Error df is small if there are only a few treatments
This limitation can be overcome by repeating a
small
Latin Square and then combining the
experiments a 3x3 Latin Square repeated 4 times
a 4x4 Latin Square repeated 2 times

Illustration:
Suppose an investigator wishes to determine the
effectiveness of growing squash using four different
organic fertilizers to four different nurseries. Due to
different ecological parameters such as light, humidity,
temperature, and oxygen of each nursery, each is
required to have one organic fertilizer. The first
treatment combination consists of OF, N, and S 1 where
OF stands for Organic Fertilizer; N, Nursery; and S,
Squash or scientifically called Cucurbita. The second
combination is OF, N, S and so on. It will be noted that
S or grouper is the diagonal of the square and
appears in each position from first supplemental feed to
the fourth organic fertilizer. F-test or analysis of variance
(ANOVA) is used to determine the significant difference
on the effectiveness of growing squash using four
different organic fertilizer to four different nurseries.

Table 7.1. Sample of Counterbalanced or Latin

Square Design
in Growing Squash Using
Four Organic Fertilizers to Four Nurseries

OF

OF

OF

OF

Useful in Animal Nutrition Studies

Suppose you had four feeds you wanted to test
on dairy cows. The feeds would be tested over
time during the lactation period
This experiment would require 4 animals (think
of these as the rows)
There would be 4 feeding periods at even
intervals during the lactation period beginning
early in lactation (these would be the columns)
The treatments would be the four feeds. Each
animal receives each treatment one time only.

The Latin Square Cow

A simple type of crossover design
Early

Mid
Early

Mid
Late

Late

Are there any potential problems with this design?

Uses in Field Experiments

When two sources of variation must be controlled
Slope and fertility
Furrow irrigation and shading
If you must plant your plots perpendicular to a linear
gradient
Row

A B C D B C D A C D A B D A B C
1

Column

Practically speaking, use only when you have more than

four but fewer than ten treatments

a minimum of 12 df for error

8. Complete Randomized Design. This is a design in which a

group of test plants or animals is studied only once but
subsequent
(kasunod)
or
successive
(sunod-sunod)
treatment is applied to determine the cause of change.
There is no control in this design but the subjects will
undergo randomization process.
Illustration:
An investigator wishes to determine if there is a
significant difference in the treatment of pellets as
supplemental feed upon the yield of prawn (sugpo) cultured
in the fishpond. He uses 300 species of prawn fry and three
compartments in the pond. The 300 pieces of prawn fry are
placed at random. Of the 300 prawn fry, 100 pieces are
placed in each compartment should be observed carefully
and ecological parameters such as pH, salinity, oxygen,
etc., should be taken into consideration. Different levels or
proportion of pellets are applied as supplemental feed in
each compartment.

Table 1. Pellets as supplemental feeds for cultured

prawn (sugpo).
Compartment
1
(10 grams)
100 pieces
prawn fry

Compartment
2
(30 grams)
100 pieces
prawn fry

Compartment
3
(50 grams)
100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

9. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD or

RCB). The RCB is the standard design for
agricultural experiments. This experimental
design uses a group of test plants and animals as
subjects of the study which are studied once but
subsequent treatments applied are replicated to
determine the cause of change. There is control in
this design and the subjects will undergo
randomization process.
Illustration:
Suppose the researcher wishes to determine
the effectiveness of cultivating milkfish in the
fishpond using fish meal, bread meal, and ipil-ipil
leaves as supplementary feeds. There are four
groups in this experimental study treated with
different feeds. These

are as follows: (1) First treatment, control group,

lab-lab only as natural food for milkfish; (2) Second
treatment, 1st experimental group, lab-lab and fish
meal; (3) Third treatment, 2nd experimental group,
lab-lab and bread meal; (4) Fourth treatment, 3 rd
experimental group, lab-lab and ipil-ipil leaves.
Each group is replicated three times. In other
words, there are 3 compartments for the control
group or first treatment (T1); 3 compartments for
the 2nd experimental group or third treatment (T3);
and 3 for the 3rd experimental group or fourth
treatment (T4). A total of 12 compartments in all
are under study.

Table 9.1. RCBD Sample of Cultivating

Milkfish in the Fishpond Using Fish Meal,
Bread Meal, and Ipil-ipil Leaves as
Supplemental Feeds.
Treatm
Replicates
ent
T1
X
X
X
T2

T3

T4

10. Correlational design. This design is used to

determine the relationship of two dependent
variables (X and Y) on how they are manipulated by
the independent variable.
Illustration:
For instance, the researcher wishes to determine
the weight and length relationship of grouper
cultured in a concrete tank using fish meal as
supplemental feed. Fish meal is the independent
variable and weight (X) and length (Y) of grouper
are the dependent variables. In other words, the
weight and length of fish are dependent on the
feed used.
The correlation coefficient (r) is the statistical
tool used to determine the weight (X) and length
(Y) relationship of grouper.

Independent Variable
Variable

Supplemental
Feed (Fish
Meal)

Dependent

Weight (X)
Length (Y)

Figure 10.1. Independent and Dependent

Variables of Correlational Design.

QUIZ
1. This design is used to determine the
relationship of two dependent variables (X and
Y) on how they are manipulated by the
independent variable.
a. Single group b. Correlational c. Parallel d.
RCBD
2. This experimental design uses a group of test
plants and animals as subjects of the study
which are studied once but subsequent
treatments applied are replicated to determine

3. This type of experimental design consists of

three or more groups wherein one group is
control group with two or more experimental
groups.
a. Single group b. Correlational c. Parallel d.
RCBD
4. This design involves a single treatment with
two or more levels.
a. Single group b. Correlational c. Parallel d.
RCBD
5. There is no control in this design but the

6. A rotation design, which involves an

exchange of two or more treatments taken by
the subjects during the experiment.
a. CRD b. Latin square c. Parallel d. RCBD
7. This design is an elaboration of the two group
design wherein there are two experimental
groups and two control groups.
a. CRD b. Latin square c. Parallel d. Two pair
grp.

For items 8 15, Identify the type of

experimental design.
8. Table 1. Ipi-ipil leaves extracts against black
bugs.

0%
concentration
30 %
concentration

60 %
concentration
90 % concentration

9. Table 2
Independent Variable
Variable
Supplemental

Feed (Fish
Meal)

Dependent

Weight (X)
Length (Y)

10. Table 3. Pellets as supplemental feeds for

cultured prawn (sugpo).
Compartment
1
(10 grams)
100 pieces
prawn fry

Compartment
2
(30 grams)
100 pieces
prawn fry

Compartment
3
(50 grams)
100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

100 pieces
prawn fry

11. Table 4. Growing Squash Using

Organic Fertilizers to Four Nurseries

OF

OF

OF

OF

Four

12. Table 5. The Effect of Using Direct Method, Transplanting

Method and Using Stem Cuttings in Growing Moringa oleifera

Research
Stations

1
2
3
4
5

Methods of Growing Moringa

Oleifera
Direct
Weight (kg)

Transplanting
Weight (kg)

Stem Cuttings
Weight (kg)

X
X
X
X
x

X
X
X
X
x

X
X
X
X
x

13. Table 6. Effectiveness of Culturing Commercial Catfish Using Soybean Meal,

Meat and Bone Meal, Blood Meal and Fish Meal as Protein Supplements

Protein Supplements
Resea
rch
Statio
ns

Fish Meal

1
2
3

30
32
31

(Control
Group)
Wt. (kg)

Meat and
Bone
Meal

Blood Meal

Soybean
Meal

Wt. (kg)

Wt. (kg)

47
46
49

45
43
44

Wt. (kg)

56
58
58

14. Table 7. The acceptability of canned milkfish

(Chanos chanos) in salmon and Spanish styles with
and without Sargassum (brown seaweed).
Control Group
1

Experimental Control Group Experimental

Group 1
2
Group 2
Canned milkfish
Canned milkfish
Canned milkfish in Salmon style Canned milkfish in Spanish style
in Salmon style
(with
in Spanish style
(with
(without
sargassum
(without
sargassum
sargassum
seaweed)
sargassum
seaweed)
seaweed)
seaweed)
6

10

Mean = 6.33

Mean = 8.67

Mean = 5.67

Mean = 9.0

15. Table 8. Effect of Guava (Psidium guajava) Leaf Extract on Staphylococcus aureus.

16-17. Explain pre-test and post-test

design in 2-3 sentences only. (Do not
exceed)
18-19. Differentiate control group and
experimental group.
20. Experimental design, Case study
design, Historical design and __________
design.

ANSWERS

EXCHANGE PAPER

1. B
2. D
3. C
4. A
5. A
6. B
7. D
8. Randomized Complete Block Design
9. Correlational Design
10. Complete Randomized Design
11. Counter balanced/ Latin square design/ Rotation design
12. Three group design
13. Parallel group design
14. Two pair group design
15. Single group design
16-17. This design involves the experimental group and the control group which
are carefully selected through randomization procedures. Both groups are given
pretest at the beginning of the semester and posttest at the end of the semester.
18-19. Control group without treatment and used as a reference for comparing
while Experimental group with treatment and usually modified to see its effects.
20. Descriptive design

THANK
YOU