In matched pairs design, how are participants allocated to conditions?

In matched pairs design, how are participants allocated to conditions?

• A. One participant in each matched pair is assigned to the control condition and the other to the experimental condition.
• B. Participants are matched on key characteristics and then randomly assigned to conditions.
• C. Each participant experiences both conditions.
• D. There is no need to consider matching.

Answer: (A)

Matched pairs design uses pairing participants who are similar on key characteristics, and then allocates members of each pair to different conditions. The strongest description is that one member of each pair goes to the control condition and the other to the experimental condition, creating a direct within-pair comparison that helps control for individual differences. This internal pairing is what makes the design efficient at isolating the effect of the manipulation. Saying you match and then randomly assign to conditions captures the idea, but the essential feature is the allocation within each pair to opposite conditions. The other descriptions describe designs that involve either participants experiencing both conditions (a repeated-measures design) or not using matching at all, which don't fit matched pairs.

Matched pairs design uses pairing participants who are similar on key characteristics, and then allocates members of each pair to different conditions. The strongest description is that one member of each pair goes to the control condition and the other to the experimental condition, creating a direct within-pair comparison that helps control for individual differences. This internal pairing is what makes the design efficient at isolating the effect of the manipulation. Saying you match and then randomly assign to conditions captures the idea, but the essential feature is the allocation within each pair to opposite conditions. The other descriptions describe designs that involve either participants experiencing both conditions (a repeated-measures design) or not using matching at all, which don't fit matched pairs.