Experimental Methods Flashcards
what are lab experiments?
conducted in controlled settings using strict scientific methods, IV manipulated, DV measured
what are field experiments?
conducted in natural setting, IV manipulated, DV measured
what are natural experiments?
conducted in natural settings, IV isn’t manipulated and naturally occurring e.g earthquake, DV measured
what are quasi experiments?
type of natural experiment where iv is a pre-existing difference between people e.g age, can be lab or field
what are the strengths of lab experiments?
- high control of EV
- higher internal validity measuring cause and effect
- higher reliability-consistent results due to standardised procedures
what are the limitations of lab epxeriments?
- low external validity, lacks eco validity
- low mundane realism: artificial setting and task
- higher risk of demand characteristics
what are the strengths of field experiments?
- high eco validity
- lower risk of demand characteristics
what are the strengths of natural experiments?
- insight to human behaviour in rare situations that would be unethical to recreate an test
- provides valuable info on human behaviour
- high eco validty
what are the limitations of natural experiments?
- no control of EV and IV as it’s not manipulated lower internal validity
- limited generalisability due to uniqueness
what are the limitations of field experiments?
- many EV difficult to control so lowers validity and reliability that iv is driving factor
- ethical issues: lack of consent, ppts are unaware
what are the strengths of quasi experiments?
- can make comparisons between groups of people
- strengths of either lab or natural experiments
what are the limitations of quasi experiments?
- might have bias as you can’t use random allocation
- more likely to have EV effect results as iv is the ppts
- unique to particular ppts-limited generalisibility
- limitations of lab or field
