Experimental Design

Question 1

What is experimental design?

Answer 1

1. Research design using an experiment

2. Two conditions - experimental or control

Question 2

What are the 3 types of experimental designs?

Answer 2

1. Laboratory
2. Field
3. Natural

Question 3

What is a laboratory experiment?

Answer 3

Experiment conducted in a controlled environment

Question 4

What are the strengths and weaknesses of a laboratory experiment?

Answer 4

1. Strengths:
   - Most scientific, high levels of control
   - Allows cause and effect between IV and DV to be established (internal validity)
2. Weaknesses
   - Unnatural environment
   - Reductionist - isolates investigated variables and ignores other potential ones

Question 5

What is a field experiment?

Answer 5

Experiment that’s still staged, but carried out in ppt’s everyday environment

Question 6

Strengths and weaknesses of field experiment?

Answer 6

1. Strengths:
   - Naturalistic environment
   - Cause and effect between IV and DV
2. Weaknesses:
   - Limited control over evs
   - Ppts may or may not know they are being investigated (lack of informed consent)

Question 7

What is a natural experiment?

Answer 7

Experiment carried out in the ppt’s everyday environment, but the researcher has NO control over any variables (IV is naturally occurring)

Question 8

Strengths and weaknesses of natural experiments?

Answer 8

1. Strengths:
   - IV is not manipulated bc its naturally occurring
   - Real and naturalistic environment
2. Weaknesses:
   - Cannot establish cause and effect
   - Hard to control extraneous variables