Types of experiments Flashcards
What is the main difference between a ‘lab’ experiment and a field experiment?
The ‘lab’ experiment can be controlled while the field experiment can’t. The field experiment is done in the ‘real-world’.
What are the key limitations of a field experiment (as compared to a lab experiment)?
They can’t be controlled and they can’t be easily replicated.
State two main ethical considerations that occur with a field experiment. Explain why these are particular concerns.
It is sometimes not practical to get consent from the participants.
Sometimes, it is impossible to debrief and explain to the ‘unwary’ participants on what just happened.
Describe what the Bystander Effect’ is.
the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to help others if other bystanders are present
How can Hofling’s experiment be said to be a field experiment?
The nurses involved had not given their consent to the experiment nor did they know what was going on. The nurses hadn’t been debriefed on the experiment and were completely unknown to what was going on.
What does high ecological validity mean in psychology?
This means that the results of this experiment could be generalised to the real world.
State what was the key ethical issue related to Hofling’s experiment. Explain how this was an issue and why it is a crucial consideration.
The key ethical issue is that the ethical guideline of deception was broken due to the fact the doctor wasn’t real.
In quasi and natural experiments, participants are not randomly allocated to conditions. Why can’t there be random allocation as compared to ‘true’ experiments?
This is because the variable being studied cannot be randomly assigned.
State 3 examples of IVs that are used in quasi experiments. Why can’t these be used in true/lab experiments?
Gender, culture, and age. These variables cannot be randomly assigned
Even though quasi and natural experiments are very similar, what is the key difference in relation to the IV?
In natural experiments the IV is environmental in nature and is out of control of the researcher.
What does it mean by use of a pre-test, post-test design in natural experiments? Provide a real-life example.
This means the groups in the natural experiment have been recorded when not being exposed to the test versus when they have been exposed to it. For example, when Czech Republic introduced a smoking ban in all bars, restaurants, and workplaces. They looked at the level of clinical depression in Prague before the ban was put in place versus 6 months after it was put in place.
What relationship can quasi and natural experiments demonstrate in relation to ‘cause-and-effect’?
These experiments don’t show a direct causation however they are able to ‘imply’ a causal relationship between two variables.
