Types of Experiment

Question 1

What are four types of experiments?

Answer 1

• Laboratory
• Field
• Natural
• Quasi

Question 2

What is a laboratory experiment?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What do experiments allow us to do?

Answer 3

-Study causation (cause and effect)

Question 4

What are the 3 key features of a true experiment?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Strengths of Laboratory Experiment:

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Limitations of Laboratory Experiment:

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What is a field experiment?

Answer 7

• Natural environment
• Research goes to participant
• IV manipulated
• DV recorded

Question 8

Strengths of Field Experiment:

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Limitations of Field Experiment:

Answer 9

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

Question 10

What is a natural experiment?

Answer 10

• No manipulation of IV

- DV may be naturally occurring or measured by experimenter

Question 11

Strengths of Natural Experiment:

Answer 11

• Only ethical option

- High ecological validity

Question 12

Limitations of Natural Experiment:

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What is a quasi experiment?

Answer 13

• Pre-existing difference people

- Naturally or measured DV

Question 14

Strengths of a Quasi-Experiment:

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Limitations of a Quasi-Experiment:

Answer 15

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