Experiments

Question 1

What are the advantages of Lab experiments?

Answer 1

-High level of control over variables

-Easy to replicate

-Cause + effect can be established

-Extraneous variables are minimised

Question 2

What are the disadvantages of Lab experiments?

Answer 2

-Experiments are artificial

-Demand characteristics are likely because of ‘participant effects’; because participants may know they are being studied

-May have some ethical issues

Question 3

What are ‘Demand Characteristics’?

Answer 3

-This is when participants change their behaviour because they are aware they are being studied

-So, it can’t be sure if the behaviour they show in the study is their ‘real’ or ‘true’ behaviour

Question 4

What are the advantages of Field experiments ?

Answer 4

-Demand characteristics are not likely

-High ecological value

-Cause and effect can be established

Question 5

What are the disadvantages of Field experiments?

Answer 5

-May have some ethical issues

-More difficult to replicate

-Less control of extraneous variables

-Loss of control over participants

Question 6

What are the advantages of Quasi experiments?

Answer 6

-Enables researchers to study real-life problems

-No direct manipulation

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of Quasi experiments?

Answer 7

-Cannot demonstrate casual relationships

Question 8

What are the advantages of Online research?

Answer 8

-Recruits a large number of participants

-Large sample at a low cost; as there is no need to pay for participants turning up + researchers

-Access to various online groups

-Researchers can be less obtrusive + access more compared to face-to-face

-Less time-consuming and cost-effective; no need to analyse data, no printing costs

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of Online research?

Answer 9

-Loss of control

-Participants may be similar

-Researcher can’t monitor the particpants behaviour so may be ethical issues

-Participants may invest less energy because researcher is not present