Methods of Collecting Data

Question 1

What are the three types of experiment?

Answer 1

-Laboratory
-Field
-Natural

Question 2

Advantages of lab experiments

Answer 2

-explanatory and extraneous variables can be strictly controlled
-high level of control means the experiments are very reliable
-the data should be valid because because you can be quite confident that the changes came as a result of the explanatory variable

Question 3

Disadvantages of lab experiments

Answer 3

-people may not behave as naturally due to pressure or nerves

Question 4

What are field experiments?

Answer 4

Experiments carried out in the real world/ a real-life environment

Question 5

When are field experiments useful?

Answer 5

-When you want to know how something behaves in the real world
-When doing the experiment in a lab is impractical

Question 6

Advantages of field experiments

Answer 6

-people are less stressed in a natural environment than when they are in the lab so they are likely to behave more accurately

Question 7

Disadvantages of field experiments

Answer 7

-less control of extraneous variables so there is a lower reliability and validity

Question 8

What happens in a natural experiment?

Answer 8

You don’t change the value of the explanatory variable, you just monitor how existing values affect the response variable

Example: monitoring how weight affects health over time

Question 9

Advantages of natural experiments

Answer 9

It is the most natural form of experiment so the behaviour/actions of those involved is likely to be most natural

Question 10

Disadvantages of natural experiments

Answer 10

Very little control over the large amounts of extraneous variables so reliability and validity are low

Question 11

Advantages of general experiments

Answer 11

-accurate
-detailed
-simple to collect if the researcher has experience

Question 12

Disadvantages of general experiments

Answer 12

-takes a lot of time
-can be biased
-costs are quite high
-researcher needs a level of experience to be able to accurately do the experiment

Question 13

What is simulation?

Answer 13

A simulation is a prediction of what might happen in a situation, based off of previous data or known probabilities

Question 14

Advantages of simulations

Answer 14

Usually easier and cheaper than actually collecting the data

Question 15

Disadvantages of a simulation

Question 16

Stages of a simulation

Answer 16

1. Choose a suitable method for getting random numbers – dice, calculator, random number tables.
2. Assign numbers to the data.
3. Generate the random numbers.
4. Match the random numbers to your outcomes