Paper 2- Research Methods Part 3 Flashcards
What are the types of experiments?
Laboratory
Field
Natural and quasi
What is a laboratory experiment ?
Experiments performed in a controlled environment using standardised procedures, with participants randomly allocated to experiment groups
Psychologist is in total control of everything
What are the advantages of laboratory experiments ?
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
What are the disadvantages of laboratory experiments ?
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
What are field experiments ?
Research occurs in the real world
IV is manipulated by the experimenter and many other variables are controlled
What is natural and quasi experiments ?
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
Advantages of field experiments ?
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
What are the disadvantages of field experiments ?
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
What are the advantages of natural experiments ?
ETHICAL- possible to study variables that it would be u ethical to manipulate.
ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY- less artificial than laboratory
Disadvantages of natural experiments ?
CAUSE AND EFFECT- no manipulation of the IV other variable could have an impact on what is trying to be measured.
Advantage of quasi experiments?
CONTROL- they are carried out under controlled conditions
Disadvantages of quasi experiments?
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
What are observations ?
Watching and recording behaviour in a naturalistic under conditions
What are the types of observations?
Participant and non- participant
Overt and covert
What is participant observations ?
Involved researched becoming actively involved in the situation being studied to gain a bigger perspective
What is non participant observation ?
Involved researchers not becoming actively involved in the behaviour being studied
What is overt observation ?
Where participants are aware they are being observed
What are covert observations?
Where participants remain unaware of being observed
What are the advantages of observation techniques ?
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
Disadvantages of observational techniques ?
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
