Types of experiment Flashcards
what is a lab experiment?
an experiment that takes place in a controlled environment to control for extraneous variables, where the researcher manipulates the IV
what is a field experiment?
an experiment that takes place in a natural, every day setting, where the researcher manipulates the IV
what is a natural experiment?
similar to a field experiment but the researcher cannot control the independent variable- for either practical or ethical reasons
what is the primary difference between a natural and field experiment?
in a natural experiment, the experiment occurs naturally, the change in the IV would’ve happened whether the researcher had or hadn’t been there
what is a quasi-experiment?
semi-experiment
it isn’t a real experiment and must always be paired with a field, lab or natural experiment.
it is where the IV is already determined, it is an existing difference between people e.g. age.
what is internal validity?
a measure of how well a study’s results represent that any effect on the DV is caused by the manipulation of the IV.
what is generalisability/ external validity?
how far results can be representative of real life
what is mundane realism?
how closely a research study resembles real life e.g. learning a list of words may not be representative of real life activities
what are the strengths of lab experiments?
-high control over extraneous variables
-high internal validity
-replication
what are the limitations of lab experiments?
-lack generalisability
-low external validity
-demand characteristics
-low mundane realism
what are the strengths of field experiments?
-high external validity
-less likely to be demand characteristics
what are the limitations of field experiments?
-lack of control over extraneous variables
-hard to replicate
-ethical issues; people can’t give there consent to a study they do not know they are in.
what are the strengths of a natural experiment?
-more ethical (since the event is happening anyway)
-high external validity
what are the limitations of natural experiments?
-difficult to replicate
-participants not randomly assigned to the experimental conditions
- low control so low internal validity so hard to see if IV has caused the effect on the DV.
what is a limitation of a quasi experiment?
cannot randomly allocate people to experimental conditions therefore extraneous variables may affect outcome
what is key to remember about strengths of quasi experiments?
they depend on the strengths of the experiment quasi has been paired with (lab, field of natural)
