The experimental method

Question 1

Define a lab experiment

Answer 1

• the researcher has a high level of control over all variables with an attempt to isolate the manipulation of the independent variable to establish cause and effect

Question 2

Advantages of a lab experiment

Answer 2

+ establishes cause and effect relationship as the researcher can be sure the observed changes in the DV are cause by the ID, this increases internal validity
+ lab experiments have standardised procedures that can be replicated

Question 3

Disadvantages of lab experiments

Answer 3

• may lack external validity as the lab environment may change a p’s behaviour so that it doesnt reflect real life (ecological validity)
• tasks in lab experiments may lack mundane realism as they dont reflect real life
• demand characteristics

Question 4

What is a field experiment

Answer 4

• a controlled experiment conducted outside a laboratory
• the IV is still manipulated by the experimenter

Question 5

Disadvantages of a field experiment

Answer 5

• lack control over extreme variables
• the IV is still manipulated and may not reflect real life

Question 6

Advantages of a field experiment

Answer 6

+ natural environment might lead to participants being more relaxed and showing for true to life behaviour
+ if the participants are unaware they are being studied the study won’t be affected by participants showing demand characteristics

Question 7

What is a natural experiment

Answer 7

• there changes in the independent variable that are naturally occurring
• the experimenter has not manipulated the independent variable directly

Question 8

Strength of natural experiments

Answer 8

+ allows researchers to study areas that they couldn’t fabricate due to ethical concerns
+ as the independent variable is naturally occurring there is no demand characteristics

Question 9

Drawbacks of natural experiments

Answer 9

• the researchers had little control over variables, they cant randomly sample and allocate THEREFORE the researcher can’t claim cause and effect
• usually rare or one off events that cant be replicated to increase reliability

Question 10

What is a quasi experiment

Answer 10

• investigating the relationship between an IV and the DV when the IV is a characteristic of a person
• the independent variable already exists in the participants and has not been made to vary by anyone
• any difference found between two independent variables is naturally occurring difference

Question 11

Strengths of quasi experiments

Answer 11

+ only way to experimentally study pre-existing characteristics of participants

Question 12

Disadvantages of quasi experiments

Answer 12

• there may be confounding variables that are influencing the findings
• gender differences could be explained by how the different genders are treated within society