Paper 2- Research Methods Part 3

Question 1

What are the types of experiments?

Answer 1

Laboratory

Field

Natural and quasi

Question 2

What is a laboratory experiment ?

Answer 2

Experiments performed in a controlled environment using standardised procedures, with participants randomly allocated to experiment groups

Psychologist is in total control of everything

Question 3

What are the advantages of laboratory experiments ?

Answer 3

HIGH DEGREE OF CONTROL- experimenters control all variable and the IV and DV are precisely operationalised and measure to great accuracy and objectivity

REPLICATION- people are able to repeat experiment and check results

CAUSE AND EFFCT- all variable are controlled the effect must be cause solely by the manipulation of the IV

ISOLATION OF VARIABLES- individual pieces of behaviour can be isolated and tested

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of laboratory experiments ?

Answer 4

EXPERIMENTAL BIAS- expectations can affect results and influence participants

DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS- participants may be aware they are being tested so may unconsciously alter their behaviour

PROBLEMS OPERATIONALISING THE IV AND DV- gaining precision measurements can become too specific and not relate to wider behaviour

LOW EXTERNAL ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY- high degree of control may make it artificial and unlike real life

Question 5

What are field experiments ?

Answer 5

Research occurs in the real world

IV is manipulated by the experimenter and many other variables are controlled

Question 6

What is natural and quasi experiments ?

Answer 6

Natural- the IV varies naturally and experiment does not manipulate it but records the effect on the DV

Quasi- IV occurs naturally, used when unethical to manipulate an IV

Question 7

Advantages of field experiments ?

Answer 7

HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY - as it is done in real world, results relate to everyday behaviour

NO DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS- participants are unaware they are in experiment

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of field experiments ?

Answer 8

LESS CONTROL- difficult to control extraneous variables, cause and effect are hard to establish

ETHICS- people are unaware that they are in an experiment so lack on informed consent

Question 9

What are the advantages of natural experiments ?

Answer 9

ETHICAL- possible to study variables that it would be u ethical to manipulate.

ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY- less artificial than laboratory

Question 10

Disadvantages of natural experiments ?

Answer 10

CAUSE AND EFFECT- no manipulation of the IV other variable could have an impact on what is trying to be measured.

Question 11

Advantage of quasi experiments?

Answer 11

CONTROL- they are carried out under controlled conditions

Question 12

Disadvantages of quasi experiments?

Answer 12

PARTICIPANT VARIABLES- you cannot randomly allocate participants to each conditions so you have no control over the participant variables

CAUSE AND EFFECT- hard to establish because the independent variable is not being directly manipulated

Question 13

What are observations ?

Answer 13

Watching and recording behaviour in a naturalistic under conditions

Question 14

What are the types of observations?

Answer 14

Participant and non- participant

Overt and covert

Question 15

What is participant observations ?

Answer 15

Involved researched becoming actively involved in the situation being studied to gain a bigger perspective

Question 16

What is non participant observation ?

Answer 16

Involved researchers not becoming actively involved in the behaviour being studied

Question 17

What is overt observation ?

Answer 17

Where participants are aware they are being observed

Question 18

What are covert observations?

Answer 18

Where participants remain unaware of being observed

Question 19

What are the advantages of observation techniques ?

Answer 19

HIGH EXTERNAL VALIDITY- observations usually occur in natural setting participants behave naturally and so results can be generalised to other settings

FEW DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS- with covert observations participants are unaware of being observed and so there will be no demand characteristics

PRACTICAL METHOD- used in situations where deliberate many of variables would be unethical or impractical
Useful where do operation from those being observed is unlikely and where the fully social context for behaviour is needed -> when studying animals or children

Question 20

Disadvantages of observational techniques ?

Answer 20

CAUSE AND EFFECT- cannot be interfered since the variables are only observed not manipulated and there is little control over extraneous variables

REPLICATION- lack of control over variables means conditions can never be repeated exactly to check results