Experimental design and Types of Experiment

Question 1

What is the laboratory method?

Answer 1

An experiment that takes place in a special environment where variables can be closely controlled

Question 2

Strengths of laboratory method

Answer 2

1.High degree of control
- Control all variables
- Leads to more accuracy
2. Replication
- Can repeat experiments and check results = accuracy

Question 3

Limitations of laboratory method

Answer 3

1. Experimenters bias
   - Can affect results/accuracy
   - Candidates may be affected by bias
2. Low ecological validity
   - High degree of control makes situation unlike real life

Question 4

What is the Field type/method?

Answer 4

Experiment conducted in a more natural environment but variables still controlled

Question 5

Stengths of field method

Answer 5

1. Naturalistic
   - More natural behaviours
   - Therefore high ecological validity
2. Controlled IV

Question 6

Limitations of field method

Answer 6

1. Ethical consideration
   - Invasion of privacy and no consent
2. Loss of control
   - Over extraneous variables
   - Therefore cannot do precise replication

Question 7

What is a quasi method?

Answer 7

An experiment where the IV has not been determined by the research and naturally exists i.e gender

Question 8

Advantages of the quasi method

Answer 8

1. Controlled conditions
   - So can be replicated
   - Likely to have high internal validity

Question 9

Limitations of quasi method

Answer 9

1. Cannot randomly allocate participants
   - May be confounding variables
   - Harder to conclude that IV caused DV

Question 10

What is the natural method?

Answer 10

Experiment where the IV is not brought about by the researcher so would’ve occurred without the researcher

Question 11

Advantages of the natural method

Answer 11

1. Provides opportunities
   - Allows research to occur which may not have happened before due to ethical considerations
2. High external validity
   - As dealing with real life issues

Question 12

Limitations of the natural method

Answer 12

1. Natural occurring events
   - May be rare so not replicate and hard to generalise findings
2. Difficult to randomise
   - Confounding and extraneous variables may occur
   - Reducing reliability

Question 12

Limitations of Independent Groups

Answer 12

• No control over participant variables
• Need more participants that other designs to gather same data

Question 12

What are independent groups?

Answer 12

Participants only perform in one condition of the IV

Question 13

Strengths of Independent Groups

Answer 13

• No order effects
• Less likely to guess the aims of the study

Question 14

Limitations of repeated measures

Answer 14

• Order effects presented

Question 14

Solution of Independent Groups

Answer 14

1. Random Allocation
   - Ensures each participant has the same chance of the one condition of the IV to another

Question 14

What are repeated measures?

Answer 14

Same participants take part in all conditions of the IV

Question 15

Strengths of repeated measures

Answer 15

• Eliminates participant variables
• Fewer participants so less time consuming

Question 16

Solution to repeated measures

Answer 16

Counterbalancing
- Half of the participants do the conditions in one order and the other do it in the opposite order

Question 17

What are matched pairs?

Answer 17

Pairs of participants matched on one variable and the one of each pair does one condition each

Question 18

Advantages of repeated measures

Answer 18

• No order effects
• Demand characteristics are less of a problem

Question 19

Limitation of repeated measures

Answer 19

• Time consuming to match
• Harder to get the larger group of participants
• Difficult to find a variable to match participants