Types of Experiments

Question 1

Where does a laboratory experiment take place?

Answer 1

In a lab. Where variables can be highly controlled.

Question 2

What are the strengths of a Laboratory experiment?

Answer 2

1. High degree of control - leads to greater accuracy.
2. Replication - researchers can re-do experiments and check results.

Question 3

What are the limitations of a Laboratory experiment?

Answer 3

1. Experimenter’s bias - this bias can affect results and participants may be influenced by these expectations.
2. Low ecological validity - high degree of control makes the situation artificial, unlike real life.

Question 4

Where does a field experiment take place?

Answer 4

In a more natural experiment, but with variables still being well controlled.

Question 5

What are the strengths of field studies?

Answer 5

1. Naturalistic - more natural behaviors which means high ecological validity.

Question 6

What are the limitations of Field Studies?

Answer 6

1. Ethical Considerations - invasions of privacy and likely to have been no informed consent.
   2.Loss of control - over extraneous variables hence precise replication not possible.

Question 7

What is the description of a Quasi ecperiment?

Answer 7

Where the IV has not been determined by the researcher, instead it naturally exists.

Question 8

What are the strengths of Quasi experiments?

Answer 8

Controlled conditions - likely to have high internal validity.

Question 9

What are the limitations of Quasi experiments?

Answer 9

Cannot randomly allocate participants, therefore could have confounding variables.

Question 10

What is a description of a Natural experiment?

Answer 10

An experiment which the IV is not brought about by the researcher hence would have happened even if the researcher had not been there e.g. if studying reactions to earthquakes.

Question 11

What are the positives of Natural experiments?

Answer 11

1. Provides opportunities - research that would have otherwise been impossible due to practical or ethical reasons.
2. High external validity - as you are dealing with real life issues.

Question 12

What are the negatives of Natural Experiments?

Answer 12

1. Natural occurring events may be rare therefore experiments could not be replicable.
2. Very difficult to randomize - confounding and extraneous variables become a problem.