》Evaluating Types of Experiments

Question 1

Define Standardisation

Answer 1

Procedures and conditions being controlled and kept the same across all conditions allowing for replication.

Question 2

Define Ecological (External) Validity.

Answer 2

The extent to which the experimental setting represents real life situations and behaviour.

Question 3

Define Demand Characteristics.

Answer 3

Behaviour from participants in the experimental setting which may be unnatural and affect how they perform on tasks.

Question 4

Define Validity

Answer 4

The extent to which an experiment is accurate in measurement to what is claims to measure.

Question 5

Define Mundane Realism

Answer 5

The extent to which the task used in the experiment are representative of tasks completed in everyday life.

Question 6

Define Reliability.

Answer 6

The extent to which an experiment can be repeated to check the consistency of the results.

Question 7

Define Internal Validity

Answer 7

The extent to which there is confidence in the IV causing the effect on the DV establishing ‘cause & effect’.

Question 8

Advantages of Lab Experiments

Answer 8

Lab experiments have high internal validity. This is because the IV is the only thing manipulated and other (extraneous) variables are controlled. It is therefore more likely that the IV is directly responsible for any changes on the DV.
This means cause & effect can be established.

Lab experiments have high reliability. This is because procedures in lab experiments are standardised. This means that the experiment cab be replicated to check the results are consistent.

Question 9

Disadvantages of Lab Experiments

Answer 9

Lab experiments have low mundane realism & ecological validity. This is because the setting is artificial so unlikely to represent a real life situation. Also, participants are often asked to compete artificial tasks which they would not do in everyday life. This means we cannot generalise the results beyond the lab to real life.

Lab experiments have high demand characteristics. This is because participants are aware they are taking part in an experiment and may pick up on cues that reveal the aim. This can lead participants to change their behaviour in order to meet the experimenter’s expectations. This means participants behaviour is unnatural and doesn’t reflect their true behaviour.