Experiments Flashcards
1
Q
Name the types of experiment
A
- Laboratory experiments
- Field experiments
- Natural experiments
- Quasi experiments
2
Q
What is the independent variable?
A
The thing you change
3
Q
What is the dependent variable?
A
The thing you measure
4
Q
Describe a laboratory experiment
A
- takes place in a controlled setting such as a laboratory = there is control of extraneous variables
- the participants can be randomly allocated to conditions
- Researcher manipulates IV and records effect on DV
5
Q
Describe a field experiment
A
- Takes place in a participants’ natural environments so there is less control of extraneous variables
- Participants can be randomly allocated to conditions
- Researcher manipulates IV and records effect on DV
6
Q
Describe a natural experiment
A
- Can take place in laboratories or natural settings
- the IV is a variable which is controlled by someone other than the researcher [IV would have happened even if researcher not there = naturally occurring]
- Often involves exploiting an event that is happening
- No control of extraneous variables
- Researcher records effect on DV
7
Q
Describe a quasi experiment
A
- Can take place in laboratories or natural settings
- the IV is a variable that occurs naturally in the population and cannot be manipulated
- IV has not been determined by anyone / the variables already exist e.g. age, gender, phobia etc.
8
Q
What are the advantages of a laboratory experiment?
A
- it is possible to control the environment closely, making replication easier and increasing reliability
- as participants are in an artificially controlled setting, they are more likely to know how they are being studied, and therefore be able to consent
9
Q
What are the disadvantages of a laboratory experiment?
A
- the environment is artificial so they behaviour seen may lack realism
- as participants know they are being observed, demand characteristics are more likely to influence their behaviour, so internal validity may be low
10
Q
What are the advantages of a field experiment?
A
- as participants are in their natural environment, the behaviour seen is more likely to be realistic, therefore increasing ecological validity
- participants may not know they are being studied, so would be less prone to demand characteristics which improves experimental validity
11
Q
What are the disadvantages of a field experiment?
A
- the environment is less controlled so there is more chance of extraneous variables influencing the results
- participants may not be aware that they are being studied meaning that gaining consent may be difficult
12
Q
What are the advantages of a natural experiment?
A
- the change or difference being investigated in the IV isn’t being controlled by the experimenter so they are less likely to influence the data due to experimenter bias –> this increases validity
- as the IV is something that is actually happening, any changes in the DV are more likely to be realistic and not artificially created
13
Q
What are the disadvantages of a natural experiment?
A
- As the experimenter cannot directly control the IV, they do not know how reliable the change is and therefore cannot infer cause and effect
- The lack of control in changing the IV means that there is more chance of confounding variables influencing results
14
Q
What are the advantages of a quasi experiment?
A
- The IV is a naturally occuring difference between people, meaning changes in the DV may have more realism than if the IV was artificially created
- Participants are likely to be aware they are being studied, making consent easier to gain and so there may be fewer ethical issues
15
Q
What are the disadvantages of a quasi experiment?
A
- Quasi experiments can only be used where a naturally occuring difference between people can easily be identified, so they are difficult to set up
- The task used to gather data for the DV may still be unrealistic, meaning that the data itself has little mundane realism.
