Research methods: types of experiment Flashcards
What is a laboratory (lab) experiment?
An experiment that takes place in a controlled environment where the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV, while maintaining control of extraneous variables.
Define a field experiment.
An experiment that takes place in a natural setting where the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV.
What characterizes a natural experiment?
An experiment where the change in the IV is not brought about by the researcher but would have happened regardless.
What is a quasi-experiment?
A study that is almost an experiment but lacks key ingredients, where the IV has not been determined by anyone.
The variables simply exist (eg- being young)
What is one strength of laboratory experiments?
High control over confounding and extraneous variables, allowing for a more certain demonstration of cause and effect.
What is a limitation of laboratory experiments?
They may lack generalisability due to an artificial environment that does not reflect everyday life.
What does high internal validity in laboratory experiments imply?
It implies a greater certainty that the effect on the DV is due to manipulation of the IV.
True or False: Replication of laboratory experiments is less possible than in other types of experiments.
False
What is a potential issue with participants in lab experiments being aware they are being tested?
It may lead to ‘unnatural’ behavior due to demand characteristics.
What is one strength of field experiments?
Higher mundane realism due to the natural environment, leading to more valid and authentic behavior.
What is a limitation of field experiments regarding control?
Loss of control of confounding variables and extraneous variables, making cause and effect harder to establish.
What ethical issue arises when participants are unaware they are being studied in field experiments?
They cannot consent to being studied, which may constitute an invasion of privacy.
Fill in the blank: Laboratory experiments can take place in environments other than a lab, such as a _______.
[classroom]
What distinguishes a natural experiment from a lab or field experiment?
The researcher has no control over the IV and cannot change it
In a natural experiment, what is the IV?
The IV is natural, caused by someone or something else
How is the DV decided in a natural experiment?
The DV may be naturally occurring or devised by the experimenter
What is one strength of natural experiments?
They provide opportunities for research that may not otherwise be undertaken for practical or ethical reasons
Why do natural experiments often have high external validity?
They involve the study of real-world issues and problems as they happen
What is a limitation of natural experiments regarding the occurrence of events?
Naturally occurring events may only happen very rarely
What issue arises from the lack of random allocation of participants in natural experiments?
Researchers might be less sure whether the IV affected the DV
What is a quasi-experiment?
An experiment with an IV based on an existing difference between people
What is an example of an IV in a quasi-experiment?
Having a phobia
What is a strength of quasi-experiments compared to natural experiments?
They are often carried out under controlled conditions
What common limitation do both quasi-experiments and natural experiments share?
Cannot randomly allocate participants to conditions
In both natural and quasi-experiments, what can we not claim about the IV?
We cannot claim that the IV has caused any observed change
Fill in the blank: In a natural experiment, the DV may be _______.
[naturally occurring or devised by the experimenter]
True or False: In a natural experiment, the setting must be natural.
False
What might limit the generalizability of findings from natural experiments?
The rarity of naturally occurring events
