Laboratory

• What type of experiments are carried out in an artificial but tightly controlled environment?

  Laboratory experiments
• What is manipulated by the researcher in a laboratory experiment?

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

  The effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable
• In a laboratory experiment, what groups are typically involved?

  An experimental group and a control group
• Why are extraneous variables controlled in laboratory experiments?

  To ensure that no other variables affect the findings
• Who conducted an experiment on the effects of prison on the behavior of guards and prisoners?

  Zimbardo
• What was Milgram's experiment focused on?

  Obedience to an authority figure
• What did Bandura's experiment investigate?

  The effects of role models on aggressive behavior
• What are the theoretical advantages of laboratory experiments according to positivists?

  • High reliability due to standardized procedures
  • Cause and effect conclusions can be drawn
  • Internal validity is high
  • Scientific laws and predictions can be generated
• What increases reliability in laboratory experiments?

  Standardized procedures
• How does high reliability benefit laboratory experiments?

  It allows studies to be easily repeated to test for consistency of results
• In Milgram's original study, what was consistent among participants?

  All participants asked the same questions to the learners
• What is a confounding variable?

  A variable that was not controlled for and affects the internal validity of the study
• What effect can demand characteristics have on a study?

  They can influence participants' behavior
• What is the Hawthorne effect?

  When participants change their behavior because they know they are being studied
• How do interpretivists view the cause and effect conclusions drawn from laboratory experiments?

  They claim human behavior cannot be explained solely in terms of cause and effect
• What is a practical advantage of laboratory experiments?

  They are easier to set up than other types of experiments
• What is a limitation of laboratory experiments regarding ethical considerations?

  It is not always ethical to create distressing life events in a lab
• What are the theoretical disadvantages of laboratory experiments according to interpretivists?

  • Low ecological validity due to artificial settings
  • Internal validity lowered by the Hawthorne effect
  • Experimenter effects can bias results
  • Human behavior cannot be fully explained through experimentation
• Why do interpretivists argue that laboratory experiments are not representative?

  Because they often have small sample sizes
• What is a challenge in studying society in a laboratory setting?

  The complexity of real-world situations makes it difficult to control all variables
• Why is it difficult to study large-scale social phenomena in a lab?

  Because it is impossible to control all the variables affecting behavior
• What ethical issues can arise from laboratory experiments?

  Creating psychological harm such as stress and anxiety
• What happened to one participant in Zimbardo's study?

  One prisoner participant had to be released due to severe depression
• Why did Milgram use deception in his study?

  To prevent demand characteristics and ensure valid results
• What justification did Milgram provide for using deception in his study?

  The benefits of the findings to society outweighed the costs
• What are the key ethical considerations in laboratory experiments?

  • Avoiding psychological harm
  • Ensuring informed consent
  • Debriefing participants
  • Minimizing deception