types of experiment : evaluation

Question 1

what is a strength of laboratory experiments

control over extraneous variables

Answer 1

• they have a high control over extraneous variables
  This means that the researcher can ensure that any effect on the dependent variable (DV) is likely to be the result of manipulation of the independent variable

Question 2

what is a strength of laboratory experiments

replication of the experiment

Answer 2

replication is more possible than in other types of experiment because of the high level of control

This ensures that new extraneous variables are not introduced when repeating an experiment. replication is vital to check the results of any study to see whether the finding is valid and not just one - off

Question 3

what is a limitation of laboratory experiments

Answer 3

there is a lack of generalisablity.

The lab environment may be rather artificial and not like everyday life

e.g.
in an unfamiliar context participants may behave in unusual ways so their behaviour cannot always be generalised beyond the research setting ( low external validity)

Question 4

what is a limitation of laboratory experiments

demand characteristics

Answer 4

participants are usually aware they are being tested in a lab experiment ( though they may not know why), and this may also give rise to “unnatural” behaviour (demand characteristics)

Question 5

what is another limitation of laboratory experiments (low mundane realism)

Answer 5

tasks participants are asked to carry out in a lab experiment may not represent real - life experience, e.g. recalling unconnected list of words as part of a memory experiment ( low mundane realism)

Question 6

what is are some strengths of field experiments

Answer 6

• they have higher mundane realism than lab experiments because the environment is more natural
• may produce behaviour that is more valid and authentic. This is especially the case as participants may be unaware they are being studied (high external validity)

Question 7

what are some limitations of a field experiments

Answer 7

1. the loss of control of extraneous variables in order to increase realism is a limitation as it means that the cause and effect between the IV and the DV in field studies may be much more difficult to establish and precise replication is often not possible
2. many ethical issues arise as participants are unaware they are being studied they cannot consent to being studied and such research might constitute an invasion of privacy

Question 8

what is a strength of natural experiments

given opportunity

Answer 8

natural experiments provide opportunities for research that may not otherwise be undertaken for practical ethical reasons, such as the studies of insititionlised Romanian orphans. This variable would have happened even if the experimenter was not there

Question 9

what is a strength of a natural experiment

high external validity

Answer 9

often natural experiments have high external validity because it involves the study of real - life issues and problems as they happen such as the effects of a natural disaster on stress levels

Question 10

what is a strength of a quasi - experiment

Answer 10

often carried under controlled conditions and therefore share the strengths of a lab experiment

Question 11

what is a limitation of a quasi - experiment

Answer 11

you cannot randomly allocate participants and therefore may be confounding variables