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Instructions & debriefing

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  • Internal Assessment/
  • Getting started with IA/
  • Instructions & debriefing

In order to make sure that the procedure runs smoothly, it is important that there are standardized instructions that are read to every participant. This serves as a very important control in any experiment. It is always a good idea to have someone proofread your instructions to make sure that they are clear to someone who is not part of the research team.

Please read the following sample of standardized instructions for an experiment investigating whether the use of concrete or abstract words results in higher recall.

Standardized instructions

Good morning. Thank you for participating in this experiment on memory.

First, I will give you a paper to sign. This is called an informed consent letter. You should know that you are entitled to withdraw from the experiment in case you change your mind. Don’t hesitate to ask questions if you have any. After you have signed the paper, I will read some instructions about the experiment to you.

Please listen carefully and do not talk to the other participants. The other experimenter will now distribute a piece of paper to you.

Please take out a pencil to write on the paper when I instruct you to do so.

The aim of this experiment is to investigate recall of different words. The experiment consists of two stages and in each stage, you will have to recall as many words as you can.

First, I will read a list of 20 words, one at a time, very slowly and then I will ask you to remember the words. I will read the words twice, and after that, you’ll write as many as you remember on the piece of paper in front of you. Then I will collect the paper.

I will then repeat the same procedure in the second stage of this experiment.

Do you have any questions?

Task 1

  • Do you think that the instructions are clear enough for the participants? If not, what do you think needs to be added, deleted, or clarified?
  • What would the standardized instructions look like if you had chosen an independent samples design?
  • Do you think that ethical procedures are dealt with properly here? Why or why not?

Debriefing notes

Once you have completed your experiment, it is important that you debrief your participants in order to fulfil ethical demands for research. It is important that you write up a debriefing statement that can be read to all participants, and which serves as evidence of fulfilling ethical requirements.

Please read the following debriefing statement.

This experiment investigated whether it was easier to recall concrete words or abstract words. Previous research has demonstrated that there is a higher recall of concrete words than abstract words. The results obtained here seem to confirm that.

If you are interested you can know the full results of the experiment. Please give us your email so that we can send you the information.

Do you have any questions?

Thank you very much for your participation.

Task 2

  • Do you think that this statement provides enough information? If not, what do you think needs to be added to the notes?
  • In your IA group discuss what should be in your own standardized instructions and debriefing notes and then write a rough draft.
  • Discuss how you will deal with ethical procedures relative to your own experimental replication.

Student handout: standardized instructions

 Student handout: Debriefing notes