Types Of Experiments: RM Flashcards
What is a Lab experiment ?
- A true experiment.
- Takes place in controlled conditions (PRIVATE).
What is a Field experiment?
- A true experiment.
- Takes place in naturalistic conditions (PUBLIC).
What is a Quasi Experiment?
- Not a true experiment.
- IV is determined by pre-existing difference (ALREADY PROVED).
- Conditions are irrelevant.
What is a Natural Experiment?
- Not a true experiment.
- IV determined by naturally occurring event. (i.e. before & after lockdown)
- Conditions are irrelevant.
Define Internal Validity.
The confidence that the IV shows cause and effect on the DV.
Define Ecological Validity.
Refers to the generalisation of experimental findings to the real world outside the laboratory.
Define External Validity.
Can research findings be generalised to the real world. Does it represent people outside of the experiment.
What is a strength of Lab experiments?
Lab experiments have high internal validity as the researchers have good control of variables. Participants can be randomly allocated to conditions, helping control for participant EV, as well as controlling for situational EV due to the controlled conditions.
What is a Limitation of Lab Experiments?
Lab experiments have low external validity as they take place in controlled settings, meaning they are artificial. Participants in the experiments may behave unnaturally, consequentially making it difficult to generalise the research outside of an experimental setting.
What is a Strength of field experiments?
Field experiments have high external validity as they take place in naturalistic settings, meaning they are less artificial than lab experiments. Consequently, participants are more likely to behave naturally, making it easier to generalise the findings in the real world.
What is a Limitation of field experiments?
Field experiments have low internal validity due to the lack of controlled conditions, making it difficult to control for situational EV. This can make it difficult to infer that the only thing affecting the DV is the IV.
What is a Strength of Natural experiments?
Natural experiments have high external validity as they involve real-life events that would happen regardless of the presence of the researcher. Consequently, it is relatively easy to generalise findings from these experiments to the real world.
What is a Limitation of Natural experiments?
Natural experiments have low internal validity, because the IV in a natural experiment changes without the researcher’s influence. Therefore it is impossible to randomly allocate participants, meaning the participant EVs are not controlled. This makes it difficult to infer that a change in the DV is caused by the IV.
What is a strength of a Quasi Experiment?
Quasi experiments are necessary as variables such as age and gender are important variables to study. However,because they are pre-existing differences (e.g. age and gender), it is impossible for the researcher to randomly allocate participants in a particular condition. Therefore, if researchers want to study these variables they must use quasi experiments.
What is a limitation of Quasi experiments?
Quasi experiments have low internal validity because the independent variable is based on a pre existing difference, it is impossible to use experimental controls, like random allocation. This means that EVs like participant are not controlled, making it difficult to infer that a change in the DV is necessarily caused by the IV.
