Experimental method/design Flashcards
What is a lab experiment
Carried out in a controlled environment
What are strengths of lab experiments
- Control of extraneous variables
- Replicability
- High control
What are limitations of lab expermients
- demand characteristics and investigator affects or more likely to affect results
- Low ecological ability -carried in a lab and is not like real life
What is a field experiment
carried out in a real world setting experimenter manipulates the IV
What are strengths of a field experiment
- High ecological validity, in a real world setting
- Reduction of demand characteristics - ppts are unaware away
What are limitations of a field experiment
- Low control over extraneous variables
- Difficult to replicate
- Unethical
What is a natural experiment
IV and DV occur naturally and the researcher simply measure the DV
What are strengths of a natural experiment
- high ecological validity
- no demand characteristics
- ethical
What are limitations of a natural experiment
- low control over extraneous variables
- difficult to replicate
What is a quasi experiment
the IV is pre existing (gender, age etc) but the DV is manipulated
- take place under a controlled environment and the task is manipulated by the researcher
Wat are strengths of quasi experiments
- control over extraneous variables
- replicability
What are limitations of quasi experiments
- low ecological validity
- lower control than labs
What is independent groups design
Different ppts are used for each condition
What are stregnths of independent groups design
- no order effects
- demand characteristics are less likely
- same stimuli an be used for both conditions
- less time consuming to conduct the study
What are limitations of independent groups design
- ppt variables may confound results
- more time consuming to gather a sample
What is random allocation
A way to randomly place ppts into each group to remove researcher bias and ppt variables
What is repeated measures design
the same ppts complete both conditions
What are strengths of repeated measures design
- ppt variables cant confound results
- less time consuming to select ppts
What are limitations of repeated measures design
- demand characteristics are more likely
- can’t use the same stimulus for all ppts
- more time consuming to conduct the study
- order effects
What is counterbalancing
a way to reduce order effects
- ppts will be randomly allocated to groups A and B then they will swap and do the other condition
What are order effects
factors that may improve/reduce ppts performance
(boredom, fatigue, practice)
What is matched pairs design
ppts are paired on relevant variables and one from each pair will do each condition
How are ppts matched
ppts may do an assessment and those with the two highest scores will be paired and so on
What are strengths of matches pairs design
- ppts variables are less likely
- no order effects
- no demand characteristic
same stimuli can be used - less time consuming to conduct study
What are limitations of matched pairs design
- time consuming to match ppts
- time consuming to gather sample
