Hey everyone. Here is a problem that I have been struggling with for a few weeks now. For my master thesis, I have an experiment with 4 different conditions and 4 materials. To avoid confounding variables in condition order, material order, and condition-material dyads, I want to randomize both the order of conditions and material.
For the study I have created 4 conditions with some related questions. The questions are the same for each condition. The condition and questions can be made as one question in qualtrics. The order of the conditions is supposed to be mostly random, with only the last condition being set. The first 3 are random.
After being exposed to a condition, people will get to see a text which they have to answer questions about on one scale ánd do an annotation task on. So 2 questions.
How can I randomize both without having one condition or material pop up twice? It seems tedious to make 144 ((3x2x1x1) x (4x3x2x1)) versions myself, but I hoped I can make qualtrics do this. A solution that would provide me with less versions but at least some randomization could also work, as I can imagine my idea being to hopeful.
One of the ideas I had was to use advanced randomization. Then I can make the conditions randomized questions. If I can then combine the scale and annotation task, I can put those in the order as a random subset. Then the order would look like this:
{randomized} condition + questions
{random subset} material + scale + annotation
{randomized} condition + questions
{random subset} material + scale + annotation
{randomized} condition + questions
{random subset} material + scale + annotation
{condition 4} condition 4 + questions
{random subset} material + scale + annotation
In this case, I would need a way to merge or link the scale and annotation question. Is that possible?
Hopefully someone is able to think with me about this problem.
How to randomize conditions and material while exposing everyone to all
+27If I understand this correctly, you have 16 unique combinations of condition and material. One way to do it would be:
- Create a multiple choice question with the 16 combinations.
- Put the 16 combinations into Groups based on condition
- Use Advanced Randomization to randomize the first three groups
- Use JS to randomly select one choice from each group with unique materials across groups. Also have the JS hide the question and, if necessary, click the Next button.
- Create a Loop & Merge block with your questions and loop based off the selected choices in the hidden MC question. Add addition loop & merge fields for the 16 combinations as needed. Pipe the loop & merge fields into your questions.
Hey Tom. Thanks for the quick reply. Interesting solution.
JS stands for JavaScript, correct? If so, I don't have any experience with that. That makes it (seem like) a difficult solution.
Hopefully there is an other, simpler, solution. I'll try your method regardless. Perhaps I'll learn something about JS in the process.
+27Yes, JS stands for JavaScript.
It will be difficult to implement if you don't know JS. It would be a lot of effort, but in lieu of JS, you could create a series of randomizers and branches in the survey flow to set embedded variables that could be used in display logic to display 4 of the 16 combinations in the MC question. Then loop & merge based on displayed choices in the MC.
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