Field experiments

Question 1

how are field experiments different to lab?

Answer 1

• takes place in natural surroundings

- p’s don’t know they’re being studied

Question 2

whats an example of a field experiment?

Answer 2

Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968):

• gave teachers misleading info about pupils abilities
• manipulated teachers expectations
• looked at the effect of this on children’s achievements

Question 3

what are types of field experiments?

Answer 3

• actor tests

- correspondence tests

Question 4

give an example of an actor test

Answer 4

Colin Brown and Pat Gay (1985):

• studied racial discrimination in work
• sent white and back actor to same interview
• matched by age, gender, qualification, e.t.c

Question 5

give an example of a correspondence test

Answer 5

Wood (2010):

• sent extremely similar applications to roughly 1000 job vacancies
• except 3 of them had a different ethnicity

Question 6

what are the theoretical issues with field experiments?

Answer 6

• low reliability
• high external validity
• more representative

Question 7

what is an ethical issues with field experiments?

Answer 7

• deception

- informed consent

Question 8

what are the practical issues with field experiments?

Answer 8

• difficult to gain access

- large scale

Question 9

why do field experiments have low reliability?

Answer 9

• not as much control as lab
• more uncontrolled variables that could affect DV
• harder to replicate

Question 10

how do field experiments have high external validity?

Answer 10

• take place in natural settings
• less artificial / more natural
• more reflective or true behaviour

Question 11

how are field experiments more representative?

Answer 11

• high external validity
• more realism
• more reflective of natural behaviour in every day life

Question 12

how do field experiments deceive people?

Answer 12

• researcher might not reveal true identity e.g pretend to be substitute teacher
• deceive p’s of your true identity

Question 13

how do field experiments not get informed consent?

Answer 13

• p’s don’t know they’re being studied
• don’t know true aim
• can’t give informed consent

Question 14

how can it be difficult to gain access for field experiments?

Answer 14

• natural settings e.g school / work may be reluctant to allow researchers in
• can be more difficult to gain access

Question 15

how can field experiments be large scale?

Answer 15

• p’s don’t have to go to a lab
• researcher can go to a natural environment e.g school
• in these environments they can study a lot more p’s

Question 16

how is a comparative method done?

Answer 16

• identify 2 groups that are the same except for 1 difference that we are interested in
• compare groups to see if that difference has an affect

Question 17

what is a comparative method?

Answer 17

• carried out in researchers mind
• researcher doesn’t actually research on real p’s
• re - analysising secondary data
• looking for cause and effect

Question 18

what’s an example of a comparative method?

Answer 18

• Durkheim

- studied suicide by analysing official statistics

Question 19

what are advantages of the comparative method compared to lab experiments?

Answer 19

• avoids artificiality
• can study past events
• avoids ethical issues of harm or deception

Question 20

whats a weakness of comparative methods?

Answer 20

• less control than field and lab

- less certain that difference = effect