3.2.3 Research methods Flashcards
1
Q
What are lab experiments ?
A
- Laboratory Experiments
These are conducted under controlled conditions, in which the researcher deliberately changes something (I.V.) to see the effect of this on something else (D.V.).
Strengths
Control – lab experiments have a high degree of control over the environment & other extraneous variables which means that the researcher can accurately assess the effects of the I.V, so it has higher internal validity.
Replicable – due to the researcher’s high levels of control, research procedures can be repeated so that the reliability of results can be checked.
Limitations
Lacks ecological validity – due to the involvement of the researcher in manipulating and controlling variables, findings cannot be easily generalised to other (real life) settings, resulting in poor external validity.
