Laboratory Experiments Flashcards
What is a laboratory experiment?
Lab experiments are conducted in a special environment where variables are controlled. The environment is not necessarily in an actual laboratory, it could be a classroom.
What makes a laboratory experiment different from a laboratory study?
In an experiment, there must be at least one independent and dependent variable that are controlled in a special environment. In a study, there is not IV or DV but it can be conducted in a lab.
What are the key features of a laboratory experiment?
○ It takes place in a controlled, artificial setting
○ Standardised procedures are used
○ There will be at least one independent variable manipulated and at least one dependent variable measured
○ Participants know that they are in the study
○ Many people are usually tested in a study
Why might a laboratory experiment take place in a controlled setting?
To ensure that only the IV is being manipulated and that the DV is not affected by anything else
Why might standardised procedures be used?
So that every participant gets the same experimental procedure
Why must there be one or more IV and DV?
So that the researcher can make comparisons between different conditions when forming their conclusions
Why might participants know that they are in the study?
Because a researcher wouldn’t be able to get a person into a controlled room without their knowledge. The participant might be deceived of the true aims of the study.
Why are many participants tested?
So that the results of the experiment can be generalised better. The more participants the more generalisable the results are to the target population.
What laboratory experiment did Milgram do?
Milgram’s electric shock experiment on obedience. In this experiment, there were two participants used at the dame time. One of them would be asked a question and if they got it incorrect, the other was told to give them an electric shock. Milgram found that 65% of the participants went to the highest voltage of 450 volts. Every participant at least went as high as 300 volts. Milgram carried out 18 variations of this study
What laboratory experiment Bandura do?
Bandura’s bobo doll experiment on learning socially. In this experiment, children, aged 3-5, were taken into a room with many toys, one of which was a giant inflatable bobo doll, and they were joined by an adult. Half of the children saw the adult playing aggressively with the bobo doll, such as kicking the doll and hitting it with a mallet, and the other half saw the adult playing non-aggressively. After this, the children were taken into a different room with toys and the same bobo doll. Observations found that each children reciprocated the behaviour that they saw from the adult
What are the advantages of laboratory experiments?
○ Often the best way to study behaviour as the experimenter has control over the experimental situation. This makes it easier to establish a cause and effect relationship. It also means that extraneous variables can be controlled
○ Often involve accurate measures and standardised collection of data. The data is often quantitative thus being less susceptible to subjectivity
○ Due to standardised procedures, these experiments are replicable. thus have a high reliability and validity can be confirmed if results can be confirmed over time.
What are the disadvantages of laboratory experiments?
○ They have low ecological validity as they take place under artificial conditions. It is harder to compare the results to everyday life as the environment might have different characteristics to those in the experiment
○ There is the issue of demand characteristics as the participants know that they are in the study. Despite being deceived of the true aim, they might still guess the aim, thus resulting in them changing their behaviour
○ Experimenter effects might also affect the results as the experimenter might show behaviour that causes the participant to alter theirs
