types of experiment

Question 1

what is an experimental method

Answer 1

the method used to carry out an experiment

Question 2

what are the 4 types of experiments

Answer 2

→ lab
→ field
→ quasi
→ natural

Question 3

what is a lab experiment

Answer 3

an experiment that takes places in a controlled environment within which the research manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV

Question 4

what do you manipulate in a lab experiment

Answer 4

the IV

Question 5

what do you record in a lab experiment

Answer 5

the DV

Question 6

where does a lab experiment take place

Answer 6

in a controlled environment

Question 7

what are the advantages of a lab experiment

Answer 7

→ high internal validity
→ high levels of control over extraneous variables
→ high replicability as it uses operationalised variables

Question 8

what are the cons of a lab experiment

Answer 8

→ may lack generalalibility and mundane realism - artificial tasks and environments used
→ reduces ecological validity
→ gives rise to demand characteristics

Question 9

what is a field experiment

Answer 9

an experiment that takes place in a natural setting within which the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect of the DV

Question 10

what do you manipulate in a field experiment

Answer 10

the IV

Question 11

what do you record in a field experiment

Answer 11

the DV

Question 12

where does a field experiment take place

Answer 12

in a natural setting

Question 13

what are the pros of a field experiment

Answer 13

→ higher mundane realism
→ high ecological validity - tasks and environment are natural
→ lower chance of demand characteristics

Question 14

what is a natural experiment

Answer 14

an experiment where the change in the IV is not brought about by the research (would have occurred anyway) and the change in the DV is recorded

Question 14

what are the cons of a field experiments

Answer 14

→ low internal validity - less control over extraneous variables
→ harder to replicate findings
→ problem with ethics as pps may not consent to being in the study if they are using a covert observation

Question 15

what is recorded in a natural experiment

Answer 15

the DV

Question 16

how is the change in the IV brought about in a natural experiment

Answer 16

it is naturally occurring → not manipulated by the experimenter

Question 17

what are the pros of a natural experiment

Answer 17

→ provides a chance to collect research on things that would not be ethical to conduct in a field or lab experiment
→ for example: the Romanian orphans research by Rutter
→ high ecological validity - no artificial tasks or environment

Question 18

what are the cons of a natural experiment

Answer 18

→ very rare event - lack generalibility
→ low internal validity - cannot randomly allocate pps to each experimental condition
→ harder to establish cause and effect due to confounding variables

Question 19

what is a quasi experiment

Answer 19

an ‘experiment’ where the IV is a pre-determined variable such as age or gender and its effect on the DV is recorded
→ the researcher cannot manipulate the IV directly as it is based upon existing differences between people

Question 20

what are some pros of a quasi experiment

Answer 20

→ allows us to measure the effect of a pre-determined variable in different settings or tasks
→ high ecological validity

Question 21

what are some cons of a quasi experiment

Answer 21

→ low internal validity - cannot randomly allocate pp to each experimental condition
→ research cannot directly control the IV - difficult to control extraneous variables and prevent them from becoming confounding variables → cause and effect cannot be established

Question 22

what experimental method would this be?
Dave a middle aged male researcher approached an adult in a busy street. he asked the adult for directions to the train station. He repeated this with 29 other adults. Each of the 30 adults was then approached by a second researcher, Sam, who showed each of them 10 photographs of different middle-aged men, including a photo of Dave. Sam asked the 30 adults to chose the photograph of the person who had asked them for directions to the station. Sam estimated the age of each of the 30 adults and recorded whether each one had correctly chosen the photograph of Dave

Answer 22

field experiment

Question 23

what experimental method is this?
A research investigated whether people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are more aware of their own heartbeat than people who do not have OCD. A matched pairs design was used. This involved 10 people with OCD and 10 people without OCD. The researcher asked each pp to estimate how fast his or her heart was beating (in beats per minute) and this was compared to his or her actual heartbeat. it was found that people with OCD were more accurate at estimating their own heartbeat then people without OCD

Answer 23

quasi experiment