Types Of Experiment

Question 1

What are the four types of experiments?

Answer 1

Laboratory, field, natural and quasi

Question 2

Define ‘laboratory’ experiment

Answer 2

An experiment conducted in a highly controlled environment. Experimenter manipulates IV.

Question 3

Give 2 advantages and disadvantages of lab experiments

Answer 3

*High internal validity (as can control extraneous variables)
*Replication easy

*Low external validity (not easy to generalise findings to real world)
*High chance of demand characteristics

Question 4

Define ‘field’ experiments

Answer 4

IV manipulated in a natural setting

Question 5

Give 1 advantage and 2 disadvantages of field experiments

Answer 5

*High external validity (behaviour more likely to represent behaviour in real world)

*Lower internal validity- More extraneous variables
*Can be ethical issues (no consent/privacy)

Question 6

Define ‘natural experiments’

Answer 6

Change in the IV is not brought about by the researcher, but would have varied naturally, without the researcher

Question 7

Give 2 advantages and disadvantages of natural experiments

Answer 7

*allow research that may not be possible for ethical or ethical reasons
*High external validity (examines real life issues)

*Cannot demonstrate causal relationships because IV not directly manipulated
*Participants not randomly allocated to groups (high impact of participant variables)

Question 8

Define ‘quasi experiments’

Answer 8

Where the IV is not something that varies, but is a condition that exists- e.g. age, gender

Question 9

State 2 advantages and 1 disadvantage of a quasi experiment

Answer 9

*High internal validity (as can control extraneous variables)
*Replication easy

*Cannot randomly allocate participants so may be participant variables which act as confounding variables