Types Of Experiments Flashcards
Lab experiment
-Take place in controlled conditions
-Manipulates IV
-Measures DV
Strengths of lab experiments
-High internal validity
-High control over extraneous variables
-Easily replicated
Weaknesses of lab experiments
-Lacks generalisability
-Low ecological validity (environment fake so participants may act in strange way, not true to real life)
-Experimental bias
Field experiments
Takes place in a participants natural, more everydaysetting
Strengths of field experiments
-Higher mundane realism
-Behaviour seen as more valid
Weaknesses of field experiments
-Lack of control over extraneous and confounding variables
-Often cannot be replicated
-Ethical concerns -> can’t give consent as unaware, may invade privacy
Natural experiments
An observational study that examines the effects or situation that occurs naturally without the direct influences of researchers
Strengths of natural experiments
-High external validity
-Provides opportunities that may not have been available for practical or ethical reasons
Weaknesses of natural experiments
-Naturally occurring events may only happen rarely reducing the opportunities for research
-Participants may not be randomly allocated to experimental conditions (researcher not completely sure whether IV affected the DV)
Quasi experiments
The IV is naturally occurring- it is a naturally existing difference between people e.g. gender
Strengths of quasi experiments
-Often carried out under controlled conditions
-Shared strengths of a lab experiment. High internal validity. Replicated easily.
Strengths of quasi experiments
-Often carried out under controlled conditions
-Shared strengths of a lab experiment. High internal validity. Replicated easily.
Weaknesses of quasi experiments
-cannot randomly allocate participants to conditions and therefore may be affected by confounding variables
