Types Of Experiment

Question 1

What is a lab experiment

Answer 1

A study done in the lab which has high levels of control from the researcher over all the variables.
It has high inernal validity but lacks ecological validity (a type of external validity)

Question 2

What is a field experiment

Answer 2

An experiment conducted in naturalistic settings. In order to avoid the artificial nature of a lab study. Higher ecological validity. The IV is still manipulated by researcher but participants is not aware they’re taking part in research

Question 3

What is a natural experiment

Answer 3

When the two levels of IV have occurred naturally with out the influence of the researcher. They simply record the change in DV between the two levels of IV. The IV occurs naturally

Question 4

What is a quasi experiment

Answer 4

Quasi experiments contain a naturally occuring IV. However in a quasi experiment the naturally occuring IV is a difference between the people e.g. age, gender. the researcher measures how this affects the DV.

Question 5

What is meant by standardised procedure

Answer 5

A consistent and uniform set of instructions and methods used in a research study

Question 6

What is meant by reliability

Answer 6

The measure of whether something stays the same i.e is consistent

Question 7

What is meant by internal validity

Answer 7

The extent to which a research study accurately identified a casual relationship between variables, ruling out alternate explanations

Question 8

What is meant by ecological validity

Answer 8

The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalised to real world settings and scenarios

Question 9

What is meant by mundane realism

Answer 9

The degree to which an experiment or study resembles real life situations and experiences

Question 10

What are meant by demand characteristics

Answer 10

Cues or hints within a study that may lead participants to guess the researchers hypothesis or expected outcomes, potentially influencing their behaviour

Question 11

Positives to lab experiments

Answer 11

-high degree of control= experimenters control all variables, the IV has been precisely replicated leading to greater accuracy
-replication=researchers can repeat experiments and check results

Question 12

Negatives to lab experiments

Answer 12

-Experimenter bias= can affect the results of the study and participants maybe influenced by these expectations
-low ecological validity= high degree of control makes the situation artificial, unlike real life

Question 13

Positives to field experiments

Answer 13

• naturalistic= more natural behaviour hence high ecological validity
  -controlled IV

Question 14

Negatives to field experiments

Answer 14

-Ethical considerations= invasion of privacy and likely to have been no informed consent
-loss of control= over extraneous variables hence precise replication not possible

Question 15

Positives to natural experiments

Answer 15

-provides opportunities= can do research that would otherwise be impossible due to practical or ethical reasons

Question 16

Negatives to natural experiments

Answer 16

-Natural occurring events= may be rare this means these experiments are not likely to be replicated hence hard to generalise findings

Question 17

Positives to quasi experiments

Answer 17

-increased realism and ecological validity.
- useful when unethical to manipulate IV

Question 18

Negatives to quasi experiments

Answer 18

-Cannot randomly allocate participants= to conditions so there may be confounding variables presented. This makes it harder to conclude that the IV caused the DV