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Flashcards in Types of Experiment Deck (15)
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1
Q

What are four types of experiments?

A
  • Laboratory
  • Field
  • Natural
  • Quasi
2
Q

What is a laboratory experiment?

A
  • Controlled environment
  • Extraneous and confounding variable regulated
  • Participants go to researchers
  • IV manipulated
  • DV recorded
3
Q

What do experiments allow us to do?

A

-Study causation (cause and effect)

4
Q

What are the 3 key features of a true experiment?

A
  • Manipulation of an independent variable (IV)
  • Randomisation of participants to conditions
  • Control of extraneous variables
5
Q

Strengths of Laboratory Experiment:

A

Extraneous/confounding variables controlled = high internal validity
-Easily replicated = standardised

6
Q

Limitations of Laboratory Experiment:

A
  • Lack generalisabilty = artificial setting
  • Low external validity (ecological validity + mundane realism)
  • Demand characteristics
  • Investigator effect
7
Q

What is a field experiment?

A
  • Natural environment
  • Research goes to participant
  • IV manipulated
  • DV recorded
8
Q

Strengths of Field Experiment:

A
  • More natural environment = high ecological validity
  • Reduced demand characteristics
  • Causation
9
Q

Limitations of Field Experiment:

A
  • Less control of extraneous variables = difficult to repeat
  • Ethical concerns = informed consent
  • More time consuming
10
Q

What is a natural experiment?

A
  • No manipulation of IV

- DV may be naturally occurring or measured by experimenter

11
Q

Strengths of Natural Experiment:

A
  • Only ethical option

- High ecological validity

12
Q

Limitations of Natural Experiment:

A
  • Confounding variable = participants already in conditions
  • NOT randomly allocated
  • Difficult to replicate (may be one-off)
13
Q

What is a quasi experiment?

A
  • Pre-existing difference people

- Naturally or measured DV

14
Q

Strengths of a Quasi-Experiment:

A
  • High control = increase confidence of causation
  • Comparison between different types of people
  • Useful where it would be unethical to manipulate IV
15
Q

Limitations of a Quasi-Experiment:

A
  • Not randomly allocated = participant variables
  • Difficult to replicate
  • Causal relationship not demonstrated