Location Of Research Flashcards
What is a laboratory experiment?
An experiment conducted in special environment where variables are controlled
What are key features of a lab experiment?
Controlled artificial setting
Uses standardised procedure
Manipulates at least one independent variable
Participants often know they are in a study
What are the strengths of lab experiments?
Can establish cause and effect relationships
Accurate measurements and standardised collection of data
Easily replicable
High reliability
What are the weaknesses of lab experiments?
Low ecological validity
Results may be affected by demand characteristics
Open to experimenter effects
What is a field experiment?
The study takes place in a natural environment
What is a confederate?
A participant in on the experiment
What are the strength of field experiments?
High ecological validity (mundane realism)
Reduced demand characteristics
Cause and effect relationship can be discovered
What are the weaknesses of field experiments?
Harder to control extraneous and cofounding variables (reduced validity)
Still risk of demand characteristics
Raises ethical issues of true consent
Hard to replicate (reduced reliability)
What are the type of quasi experiments?
Difference quasi and natural quasi
What is a quasi experiment?
The IV is naturally occurring and is not under the control of the researcher
What is a natural quasi experiment?
Researches a naturally occurring event that would be impractical or unethical to manipulate the variables
What is a difference quasi experiment?
Researchers a pre-existing difference between the participants
What are the strengths of a quasi experiment?
High ecological validity
Allows research into uncommon topics and real problems
What are the weaknesses of a quasi experiment?
Cannot force or predict these events
Replication is near impossible
Low generalisability
What is a strength of online research?
Easily accessible
Mass data
Diverse participants
Easy to take part
