Types of Experiment

Question 1

Lab experiment

Answer 1

-high level control variables
-control environmental acts eg. noise as well as experience of each participant using standardised procedure
-IV manipulated by researcher

Question 2

Lab experiment strengths

Answer 2

-by holding all variables outside IV and DV constant, establish clear cause and effect relationship IV and DV
-high internal validity, change in DV due to change IV
-easily replicated due to use standardised procedures

Question 3

Lab experiment limitations

Answer 3

-lack ecological validity, cannot be applied real world situations
-lack mundane realism, do not reflect tasks in real life situations
-participants aware in study, may alter behaviour due to demand characteristics, match aim study

Question 4

field experiment

Answer 4

-naturalistic setting, not as artificial as lab
-anywhere participants behave naturally
-IV manipulated by researcher

Question 5

field experiment strengths

Answer 5

-participants behave more naturally, behaviour observed can be applied other naturalistic settings, higher ecological validity
-more likely have mundane realism, reflect real life activities
-if unaware in experiment, less likely show demand characteristics

Question 6

field experiment limitations

Answer 6

-lack control over extraneous variables that could impact DV
-cannot randomly assign participants, coukd result in change in DV may be due to participant variables, reduce internal validity

Question 7

natural experiment

Answer 7

-two levels IV occurred naturally
-events that cause people form in levels IV eg. disaster only impact some members community
-IV not manipulated, other variables cannot be controlled

Question 8

natural experiment strengths

Answer 8

-allow research in areas that could not happen by in controlled experiments due to ethical or cost reasons
-high external validity, real behaviour, real world, free of demand characteristics

Question 9

natural experiment limitations

Answer 9

-researcher no influence over variables, cannot control extraneous variables, can’t establish cause and effect
-often rare events can’t be replicated to test for reliability

Question 10

quasi experiment

Answer 10

-participants cannot be randomly assigned between levels IV, IV innate characteristic participants
-IV alresdy exist in participants eg. age or gender

Question 11

quasi experiment strength

Answer 11

-only way experimentally study factors pre existing characteristics in participants

Question 12

quasi experiment limitation

Answer 12

-confounding variables: other factors affective DV cannot be controlled