Experiments

• What do experiments attempt to establish between an independent variable (IV) and a dependent variable (DV)?

  Cause and effect
• What is manipulated in an experiment?

  The independent variable (IV)
• What is measured in an experiment?

  The dependent variable (DV)
• What are extraneous variables?


  Variables that could affect the DV and need controlling
• What happens to uncontrolled extraneous variables?

  They become confounding variables
• What are the characteristics of field experiments?

  • Researcher manipulates the IV
  • Measures the DV in natural conditions
  • Conducted in any location that is not a laboratory
  • Participants may not know they are in a study

  
• What are the characteristics of lab experiments?

  • Researcher manipulates the IV
  • Measures the DV under controlled conditions
  • High control prevents confounding variables
  • Participants generally know they are taking part in a study

  
• What defines natural experiments?

  • Researchers do not manipulate the IV
  • Examine the effect of an existing IV on the DV
  • The IV is naturally occurring (e.g., a flood or earthquake)
• What are quasi experiments characterized by?

  • Contain a naturally occurring IV
  • The IV already exists and involves differences between people (e.g., gender, age)
• How does high control over extraneous variables affect internal validity in lab experiments?

  It increases internal validity
• What is a downside of high control in lab experiments regarding ecological validity?

  It lowers ecological validity due to the artificiality of research
• Why are procedures in lab experiments generally replicable?

  Because of high control over extraneous variables
• What is a benefit of conducting field experiments in natural settings?

  Higher ecological validity and realism
• What is a potential issue with field experiments regarding participant awareness?

  There are ethical issues if participants are not aware they are in a study
• What does a naturally occurring IV in natural experiments imply for external validity?

  It means high levels of external validity
• Why are naturally occurring IVs significant in research ethics?

  They allow for the study of phenomena that would otherwise be unethical to research
• What is a limitation of quasi experiments regarding participant allocation?

  Participants cannot be randomly allocated to research conditions
• What is a challenge in quasi experiments concerning extraneous variables?

  There is no control over extraneous variables, making it difficult to determine their effect on the DV