EXPERIMENTAL TYPES (LAB/ FEILD)

Question 1

Name some features of a Lab experiment

Answer 1

• Have a manipulated IV which is measured against a DV
• Conducted in artifical enviroments so there can be many controls.
• Ppts are NOT in their usual enviroment for the behaviour they are preforming.
• Ppts are randomly assigned to different conditions.

Question 2

What are some strengths of a lab experiment?

Answer 2

1. Standardisation: Standardised procedures raise reliability, allow for replication.
2. Casual relationships: Can be established as the iv is isolated from other varibles and controlls are used.
3. Validity: Good control over varibles

Question 3

What are some weaknesses of a lab experiment

Answer 3

1. Low ecological validity: The artificial situation could make ppts behaviours unrepresentative of real world conditions, lowering EV.
2. Demand characteristics: Ptts could respond to demand characteritistics and alter behaviour.
3. Some experimental manipulations may raise ethical concerns (especially if they involve deception, manipulation or potential to harm ppts)

Question 4

Give an example of a lab experiment

Answer 4

• Bandura’s experiment had an IV measured against a DV
• IV= Gender of child
• DV= Aggression (behaviour displayed by child)

Question 5

What are lab experiments?

Answer 5

• A research method
• Which has an IV and a DV with strict controls.
• It looks for a causal relationship and is conducted in an artificial eviroment

Question 6

What are feild experiments?

Answer 6

• A research method
• Which has a manipulated iv and dv
• It looks for a causal relationship and is conducted in a normal enviroment.

Question 7

Features of a feild experiment

Answer 7

• -Has a manipulated IV and a measured DV.
• It is conducted in the normal environment for the activity being investigating thus has less control over extraneous variables
• Naturalistic setting
• Random allocation of partcipants is possible

Question 8

Example of a field experient

Answer 8

Piliavin et al controlled the actions and clothing’s of the confederates

Question 9

Strength of a field experiment

Answer 9

1. Ecological validity: As they are conducted in natural enviroments ppts are more likely to behave naturally, making the results generalisable.
2. Demand characteristics: Ppts are unaware they are being studied, thus less likely to figure out the experimental aims and alter behaviours.

Question 10

Weaknesses

Answer 10

1. Low control: Harder to control varibles than lab expeirments lowering reliability, making replication difficult.
2. Causal relationships:As there is less control over extraneous varibles, it is harder to establish causal relationships between varibles.
3. Ethical issues: Pptts may be unaware their being studied. Ethical issues may arise when studying sensitive topics and intervening in natural environments.

Question 11

What is a natural experiment?

Answer 11

• Experiments are conducted in everyday enviroment.
  The experimenter has NO control over the IV as it occurs naturally in real life
• They are suitable for situations in which it would not be ethical or practical to manipulate the IV.
• Researcher cannot exert control over situation

Question 12

Strengths of natural experimets

Answer 12

• Provides unique insights into phenomena that could not be studied otherwise.
• High ecological validity

Question 13

Weaknesses of natural experiments

Answer 13

• Difficult to establish casuality due to lack of control.
• Ppts may not be randomly allocated- Cant’t be sure that the IV is affecting the DV (internal validity)

Question 14

What are quasi experiments?

Answer 14

• The IV is naturally occuring/ existing in the person so the researcher can’t manipulate the IV (not a true experiment)
• Carried out in controlled conditions
• Researchers can exert control over conditions

Question 15

Strengths of quasi-experiments

Answer 15

Conducted in controlled conditions

Question 16

Weaknesses of quasi expeirments

Answer 16

• Cannot be randomly allocated (potential confounding variables)