Types of Design Flashcards
Lab experiment
Takes place in a controlled environment where the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effects of the DV, maintaining strict control over extraneous variables.
Lab experiment- Strengths
- High control over extraneous variables
- High control over confounding variables
- DV manipulates IV
- High internal validity
- Easily replicated
Lab experiment- Weaknesses
- Lacks generalisability
- Low external validity
- Risk of demand characteristics
- Low mundane realism
- Low ecological validity
Field experiment
Takes place in a natural setting within which the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect of the DV
Field experiment- Strengths
- High mundane realism
- High ecological validity
- High external validity
- Generalisable
Field experiment- Weaknesses
- Possible ethical issues- consent
- Lack of internal validity
- Extraneous variables
Natural experiment
Where the change in IV is not brought about by the researcher and would have happened regardless. The researcher records the effect of the DV
Natural experiment- Strengths
- Opportunities for studying unethical events
- High external validity
- High ecological validity
- No demand characteristics
- Access to diverse samples
Natural experiment- Weaknesses
- Hard to generalise
- Unaware of situational and extraneous variables
- Low internal validity
- Selection bias (participants or conditions)
Quasi experiment
A study that is almost an experiment but lacks key ingredients. IV has not been determined by anyone e.g. gender, age
Quasi experiment- Strengths
- Replication
- High internal validity
- High ecological validity
- Generalisable
Quasi experiment- Weaknesses
- Chance of confounding variables
- IV may not be the cause of observed change
- Limited control of extraneous variables
- Possible ethical issues
