Experiment types

Question 1

laboratory experiment

Answer 1

• carefully controlled conditions
• all factors the same except independent variable- show it must be due to the independent variable

Question 2

standardised procedures

Answer 2

• ensures all participants have an identical experience

Question 3

standardised instructions

Answer 3

• all participants having the same instructions

Question 4

strengths of laboratory experiment

Answer 4

• establish cause and effect
• allows replication
• variables are easy to control

Question 5

limitations of a laboratory experiment

Answer 5

• reduced ecological validity
• high risk of demand characteristics and the social desirability effect
• not everything that psychologists want to study can be investigated

Question 6

The field experiment

Answer 6

• conduced in what the participant sees as their natural environment
• participant not aware they are apart of study
• still a dependent variable and a independent variable

Question 7

strengths of a field experiment

Answer 7

• high ecological validity
• reduced risk of demand characteristics and social desirability effect

Question 8

Limitations of a field experiment

Answer 8

• Can be time consuming to carry out
• can be expensive
• less control of extraneous variables

Question 9

Quasi experiments

Answer 9

• The IV has not been created by anyone
• Participants cannot be randomly allocated to certain conditions

Question 10

Strengths of quasi experiments

Answer 10

• Allow for studies on human behaviour in controlled settings
• Can be replicated

Question 11

Limitations of quasi experiments

Answer 11

• It is much harder to say that the IV is the cause of the effect on the DV

Question 12

Natural experiments

Answer 12

• Researcher takes full advantage of naturally occurring change in our IV

Question 13

Strengths of Natural experiments

Answer 13

• Impossible to replicate
• Possibilities for confounding variables are endless