Research Methods - Experiments types and designs

Question 1

what is an experiment

Answer 1

type of research method which collects data in a controlled setting where the researcher manipulates the IV and measures its effect on DV.

Question 2

Strengths of Lab experiments

Answer 2

• High levels of Control
• Easily replicated

Question 3

explain strength of lab experiments - high levels of controls

Answer 3

high level of control over the research environments by controlling extraneous variables allowing the researcher to be confident about establishing a casual relationship between IV and DV increasing the validity of the study

Question 4

Explain the strength of lab experiments - easily replicated

Answer 4

they can be repeated by other researchers as they can replicate the same conditions and follow the standardised procedures to see whether they obtain similar results. if the results are similar this increases the internal validity and reliability of the study,

Question 5

what are the two weaknesses of lab experiments

Answer 5

• may lack generalisability
• demand characteristics

Question 6

explain the weakness of lab experiments - may lack genralisibilty

Answer 6

critised for being artificial and the participants are aware of being studied . this means their behaviour is not natural and therefore the findings cannot generalise to the real world therefore lab experiments have low external validitiy.

Question 7

explain the weakness of lab experiments - demand characteristics

Answer 7

demand characteristics are cues (e.g videos /tasks) that might indicate the study aims to participant. cues can lead particpants to chanege their behaviors and unconsioncly respond to such cues rather than the effect of the IV. this will reduce the validity of the finidings.

Question 8

what is a field experiment

Answer 8

type of research method which collects data in a natural setting. the researcher manipulates the iv and measures and record the dv . in a field experiment they are usually not aware they are taking part in the study.

Question 9

strength of field experiments

Answer 9

• more natural environments
• high external validity

Question 10

explain the strength of field experiments - more natural environment

Answer 10

• more natural environment (participants in their normal situation are likely to behave in representative wat - how they usually would behave. this means the results may be more generalisable to everyday life.

Question 11

explain the strength of field experiments - high external valdity

Answer 11

field experiments are conducted in the real world where the participants are often not aware they are taking part in a study. this means that findings are often more realistic and true to life than lab experiments and therefore they are high in external validity.

Question 12

field experiments weaknesses

Answer 12

more difficult to control unwanted variables
ethical issues

Question 13

explain the weakenss of field experiments - more difficult to control unwanted variables

Answer 13

the researcher has less control over the natural environment the means changes to dv may not be due to iv but to other unwanted variables cv. this makes it more difficult to establish a cause and effect relationship wich reduces the validity of the research and findings.

Question 14

explain the field experiment - ethical issues

Answer 14

participants in a field experiment may not have given informed consent. this is an invasion of privacy which raises ethical issues.

Question 15

what is a natural experiment

Answer 15

a type of research method which collects data from a situation where the researcher does not manipulate the IV. This is because the IV would have changed/occurred by itself - naturally occurring.

Question 16

for a natural experiment where is the DV measured

Answer 16

in a laboratory or in the field. the key feature of natural experiment is not where it is conducted but the way the independent variable is manipulate
- e.g a study that compares football players to rugby players (IV varies naturally). the DV could be the IQ test in a controlled lab setting

Question 17

strengths of natural experiments

Answer 17

• only ethical option
• greater external validity

Question 18

weaknesses of natural experiment

Answer 18

• the natural event may occur rarely
• participants are not randomly assigned

Question 19

explain the strength of natural experiments - only ethical option

Answer 19

natural experiments allow the psychologists to investigate the phenomena that would be unethical to manipulate the IV. e.g a researcher investigating the effects of teenage smoking cannot randomly assign people to groups of smokers and non smokers to see whether they develop cancer. this means a natural experiment may be the only way to research a topic.

Question 20

explain the strength of natural experiments - greater external validity

Answer 20

natural experiments often involves real life issues such as the effects of institutionalisation on children,stress. this means the findings are more relevant to real life situations.

Question 21

explain the weakness of natural experiments - the natural event may occur rarley.

Answer 21

many natural events only occur once in unique situations and this reduces the oppurtunity for more research investigation. this means this will limit the scope for generalising findings to other similar situations.

Question 22

explain the weakness of natural experiments - participants are not randomly assigned

Answer 22

The experimenter has no control over which participants are placed in which conditions as the IV is pre-existing. This may result in variables that are not controlled which will affect the IV. For example, roman orphan adopted early may also be the friendlier ones. this reduces the validity of the findings.

Question 23

What is a Quasi experimetns

Answer 23

in a quasi experiment the participants are not assigned randomly to the experimental and the control group. this is because the IV is pre existing before the experiment took place which means the researcher cannot manipulate the IV.

Question 24

why is there no control group in a quasi experiment

Answer 24

there is no control group just a comparison between the two different groups. for example testing difference in memory recall between gender. the iv is gender. the researcher cannot manipulate gender it is pre-existing. male will be on condition and females be in another condition.

Question 25

what is the difference between natural and quasi expeiments

Answer 25

the difference between natural and quasi experiment is to see if the IV can be manipulated. it is not possible to do this in a natural experiment but it is to do that with a quasi experiment.

Question 26

strengths of quasi experiments

Answer 26

• comparison can be made
• high control

Question 27

weakness of quasi experiments

Answer 27

• partcipants are not randomly assigned
• cause-effect relationship cannot be guaranteed.

Question 27

weakness of quasi experiments

Answer 27

• partcipants are not randomly assigned
• cause-effect relationship cannot be guaranteed.

Question 28

explain the strength of quasi experiments - comparison can be made

Answer 28

quasi experiments allow psychologist to study the differences in people (gender, autism,ethnicity,e.t.c). this means that comparison between different types of people or behaviors can be made.

Question 29

explain the strength of quasi experiments - comparison can be made

Answer 29

quasi experiments allow psychologist to study the differences in people (gender, autism,ethnicity,e.t.c). this means that comparison between different types of people or behaviors can be made.

Question 30

explain the strength of quasi experiments - high control

Answer 30

quasi experiments are often carried out in controlled conditions which makes it easy for other to replicate the study to see if similar results are foung. this means we are more confident in drawing a causal conclusions (cause and effect realationships between the IV and DV). this increase the validity of the findings.

Question 31

explain the weakness of quasi experiments - participants are not randomly assigned.

Answer 31

in a quasi experiment there is no random allocation this means the researcher has no control over which participants are placed in which conditions as the IV is pre-existing. this means participant variables, may act as a confounding variable as this might have caused the change in DV. therefore we cannot be confident in inferring a cause and effect relationship.

Question 32

explain the weakness of quasi experiments - cause and effect relationship cannot be guaranteed.

Answer 32

the researcher does not manipulate or control the IV. this means we cannot be certain that any changes in the DV was due to the IV. therefore cause and effect may not be guaranteed that it occured.