Research Design Essay: Evaluating the Design of an ExperimentThe ability to describe and critically evaluate the design of an Research essay can be beneficial in many ways. First, it can help maintain current knowledge by reading other empirical research, developing critical and analytical thinking skills, and practicing the research process in order to conduct more in-depth studies (Christensen et al., 2014 ). In the current essay, similar techniques will be used to describe and critically evaluate the design in terms of raising any issues related to the experimental design. The present essay involves an environmental psychologist hired to evaluate employee workstations at a data entry company. The psychologist recommended ergonomic computer keyboards and ergonomic chairs to increase productivity and decrease negative physical symptoms. Experimental research was then carried out to help the employer choose which ergonomic aid is the most effective. This essay will attempt to critically evaluate the research design and suggest possible improvements. The independent variables observed are ergonomic aids and work teams. The variables are categorical and the manipulation method is based on individual differences. They are tested between groups and each variable has two levels of IV: Ergonomic aid: Chair/Keyboard; Work Teams: Core Data Entry Team/Rush Order Entry Team. The ergonomic keyboard was operationalized by the ability to record data entry speed over a fixed period. The ergonomic chair was operationalized by completing a questionnaire recording the number of work-related health symptoms they had experienced since the last assessment. The work teams were operationalized by ensuring that some...... middle of document ...... extraneous variables had a high chance of disrupting the study, which could have provided explanations alternatives for results.ReferencesBerg, KE & Latin, RW (2008). Essential elements of research methods in health, physical education, exercise science and recreation. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Christensen, L., Johnson, R., & Turner, L. (2014). Research Methods, Design and Analysis: Compiled for research design and analysis of PYB210 data. New South Wales, NSW: Pearson Australia. Ghilani, C.D. (2010). Adjustment calculations: analysis of spatial data. New Jersey, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Salkind, N.J. (2010). Encyclopedia of Research Design [Adobe Digital Editions version]. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/978142861288.n174 Weseley, A. J. and McEntarffer, R. (2010). Barron's AP Psychology. New York, NY: Barron's Educational Series.