Experimental Methods

Question 1

What are the 4 types of experimental method?

Answer 1

Laboratory, field, natural, quasi

Question 2

What is a lab experiment?

Answer 2

An experiment that is carried out in a:

• controlled environment
• the independent variable is manipulated
• other variables are controlled.

Question 3

What is a field experiment?

Answer 3

A controlled study that take place in:

• natural settings
• the independent variable is manipulated
• participants are often unaware as we want the results to be natural
• the dependent variable is the behaviour of the participant

Question 4

What is a natural experiment?

Answer 4

• The independent variable is unplanned and has occurred because of a naturally occurring event.
• other variables can’t be directly manipulated.

Question 5

What is a quasi experiment

Answer 5

• Participants are matched in some way
  e. g. males may be in one condition and females in another, but they are matched for age, gender, educational background, or other important variables.

Question 6

Name a limitation and strength of a lab experiment?

Answer 6

Strength: as they are in controlled conditions, researchers can isolate variables; good reliability as they’r easy to replicate.
Limitation: reductionistic, human behaviour cannot be explained through simple cause and effect. Demand characteristics - participants aware of experiment, may change behaviour.

Question 7

Name a limitation and strength of a field experiment?

Answer 7

Strength: as they’re occurring in real life they are strong in ecological validity. Lower risk of demand characteristics compared to other experiments.
Limitation: higher risk of extraneous variables. difficult to replicate so not very reliable.

Question 8

Name a limitation and strength of a natural experiment?

Answer 8

Strength: High in ecological validity
Limitation: it is more difficult to pinpoint a cause-and-effect relationships because the other variables can’t be directly manipulated

Question 9

Name a limitation and strength of a quasi experiment?

Answer 9

Strength: Tighter control of variables. Easier to comment on cause and effect.
Limitation: randomization is not used, limiting the study’s ability to conclude a causal association between an intervention and an outcome. Artificial environment - low realism. Demand characteristics.

Question 10

What are the 3 types of experimental design?

Answer 10

Independent group, repeated measures, matched pairs

Question 11

What is Independent group design?

Answer 11

-Different participants are used in each condition, they enter one or the other.
-The condition the participant is put in is chosen randomly.
By random allocation it is hoped that participant variables balance out across conditions.
-Words could be kept the same. (same stimulus)

Question 12

What is Matched pairs design?

Answer 12

• Participants are matched as closely as possible with another participant with another participant for important characteristics.
• Reduces participant variables because the researcher has tried topairup the participants so that each condition has people with similar abilities and characteristics

Question 13

What is Repeated measures design?

Answer 13

-The same participants are used in each of the conditions of the experiment.

Question 14

Name a limitation and strength of independent group design.

Answer 14

Strength: No order effects Lower risk of demand characteristics Same tests/materials can be used
Limitation: Participants variables - groups might not be equal, someone could have a better visual memory.

Question 15

Name a limitation and strength of Matched pairs design.

Answer 15

Strength: Avoids order effects, and so counterbalancing is not necessary.
Limitation: it’s very difficult to match people. Very time-consuming trying to find closelymatched pairs.

Question 16

Name a limitation and strength of Repeated measures design.

Answer 16

Strength: This design avoids the problem of participant variables encountered in independent groups design. Limitation: order effects, but this can be dealt with via counterbalancing or randomisation

Question 17

What are investigator effects?

Answer 17

When a researcher (consciously or unconsciously) acts in a way to support their prediction.

Question 18

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 18

Denotes the experiment because the results were biased because the participants perform in a way they think is expected.

Question 19

What is counterbalancing?

Answer 19

Attempt to reduce order effect by making doing a certain condition first and the other half doing the other condition first. E.G. group a do condition 1 then 2 but group 2 do condition 2 then 1.

Question 20

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 20

Unwanted factors in a study that if not accounted for could negatively affect the data collected.

Question 21

What are some examples of extraneous variables?

Answer 21

Participant variables- minimizing differences between participants (e.g. their age, ability such as IQ). -Matched pairs design would be a good design to use.

Researcher variables- factors such as research behaviour, appearance or gender could affect the participant responses, so should be made consistent throughout the experiment.
-Investigator effects could be evaluated here.

Situational variables- control of the setting where the experiment takes place, such as keeping lighting, sound and temperature levels consistent.

Question 22

What is standardisation?

Answer 22

Means that all participants in a study have exactly the same experience, so that individuals experience does not cause some participants to engage with the study differently.
This is to ensure all participants have the same experience.