Simons and Chabris on Visual Inattention Evaluation

Question 1

lab experiment: strengths

Answer 1

1. high control for extraneous variables- highly standardised procedure as videos were all same length

Question 2

lab experiment: weaknesses

Answer 2

1. demand characteristics- ptcpts may guess aims of study so act in a certain way, but ptcpts interviewed after to discard those aware of study

Question 3

quantitative data: strengths

Answer 3

1. easy comparison and analysis of conditions- just numerical values involved
2. findings can be generalised

Question 4

ethical considerations: strength

Answer 4

1. informed consent was given and ptcpts debriefed

Question 5

ecological validity:
weakness

Answer 5

1. low- may be due to control for extraneous variables make it unlikely to represent unpredictability of reality

Question 6

validity: strength

Answer 6

good- measured how different factors affected detection rates well as results showed more people noticed unexpected event in opaque than transparent condition

Question 7

reliability: strength

Answer 7

good- highly standardised procedure with clear set instructions, allowing experiment to be repeated

Question 8

sampling bias: strengths

Answer 8

1. easily accessible sample as the undergraduates were from the same school they worked at
2. saves time
3. large sample size

Question 9

sampling bias: weaknesses

Answer 9

1. lack of population validity- undergraduates around same age, from one area, and relatively same class
2. self-selected sample means people with higher performance may be more likely to be picked