Types Of Experiment

Question 1

Lab experiment [ AO1]

Answer 1

Defined by the high level of control the researcher has over the variables in the study [The experimenter control environmental factors e.g. Temp- noise as well as the experience each participant has by using standardised procedures].

Question 2

Lab experiment evaluation strengths [AO3]

Answer 2

-By keeping all other variables constant, researchers can be confident that any changes in the dependent variable (DV) are directly caused by changes in the independent variable (IV), establishing a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
- high internal validity= observed change in DV is due to change in IV.
- lab studies are easily replicated due to the use of standardised procedures (keeping the experiment the same for all the participants)

Question 3

Lab experiment evaluation limitations [A03]

Answer 3

• Lab studies can lack ecological validity [ A type of external validity] = findings from a lab study cannot be applied to a range of real-world situations
• lack of mundane realism e doesn’t reflect the kind of task performed in a real- word situation
  -the increase of demand characteristics as participants are aware that they are in a study and may alter their behaviour to match the aim

Question 4

Field experiment [AO1]

Answer 4

Defined by conducting the experiment in a naturalistic settings where participants are expected to behave naturally .[ avoids the artificial nature of lab studies due to change in location]

Question 5

Field experiment evaluation strengths [A03]

Answer 5

• Higher.ecological validity as participants behave more naturally in their normal environment
• an increase of mundane realism as a test reflects the normal life task participants usually carries out
• decrease in demand characteristics as participants are unaware they are in an experiment

Question 6

Field experiment evaluation limitation [AO3]

Answer 6

• Lack of control over extraneous.variable which could influence the measurement of the dependent variable
  -A decrease in internal validity due to the difficulty to randomly assign participants to separate conditions resulting in a change of dv that is influenced by participant variables

Question 7

Natural experiment[AO1]

Answer 7

• The two level of IV and DV have [or willi occurred naturally [ in the real world] without the influence of the researcher. [simply records the change in DV between 2 levels of IV]

Question 8

Natural experiment evaluation strengths [A03]

Answer 8

• Allows researcher to have an in depth in research that is not allowed in controlled experiment due to ethical or cost reasons
• high in external validity natural experiments are example of real behaviour occurring naturally free from demand characteristics

Question 9

Natural experiment evaluation limitation [AO3]

Answer 9

• No influence of extraneous variable as the events will occur/ have happened regardless of the researcher meaning they shouldn’t claim they have found a cause and effect relationship
  -Lack of testing for reliability as the events are rare to replicate

Question 10

Quasi experiment[AO1]

Answer 10

Participants cannot be randomly assigned between levels of IV often because the level of IV is an innate characteristic of the participants

Question 11

Quasi experiment evaluation strengths [ AO3]

Answer 11

• Only way to experimentally study factors that are pre-exsisting characteristics on participants

Question 12

Quasi experiments evaluation limitation [AO3]

Answer 12

• Confounding variables= other factors related to the level of IV that cannot be controlled as the it change systematically between the levels of IV and alter the measurement of DV