Lab, Field, Natural Experiments Flashcards
What are lab experiments
Taken place in a lab or similar environment when explanatory and extraneous variables can be strictly controlled
Advantages of lab experiments
explanatory and extraneous variables can be strictly controlled
Very reliable because of the control and can be repeated easily
Data should be valid because the changes in the response variable are only due to the changes in the explanatory variable
Disadvantage of laboratory experiments
People ,ay not behave natural due to the environment and may feel nerves or under pressure
Where do field experiments take place
In a real life environment
When are they useful
When you want to know how something behaves in the real world rather than a lab or when the experiment in a lab is impractical
Why are they less reliable and valid
Because the researcher still has control over the explanatory variable but less control over the extraneous variables
What is a natural experiment
You don’t change the values of the explanatory variables you just look at how the existing values effect the response variable
Why are disadvantages of natural experiments
Since you have very little control over any variables the reliability and validity are very low
