Which description matches a mixed design?

Which description matches a mixed design?

• A. Split-plot design
• B. Between-subjects design
• C. Within-subjects design
• D. Mixed design

Answer: (D)

A mixed design combines between-subjects and within-subjects factors in one study, letting you compare different groups while also tracking changes within the same participants across levels. This setup enables testing the main effects of each factor and their interaction, while also reducing error variance through repeated measures. A split-plot design is a specific kind of mixed design where one factor is applied to whole groups and another factor is applied within groups, but the general description that matches the concept most directly is the mixed design itself. The other options describe designs that are exclusively between-subjects or exclusively within-subjects, which don’t capture the combination described here.

A mixed design combines between-subjects and within-subjects factors in one study, letting you compare different groups while also tracking changes within the same participants across levels. This setup enables testing the main effects of each factor and their interaction, while also reducing error variance through repeated measures. A split-plot design is a specific kind of mixed design where one factor is applied to whole groups and another factor is applied within groups, but the general description that matches the concept most directly is the mixed design itself. The other options describe designs that are exclusively between-subjects or exclusively within-subjects, which don’t capture the combination described here.