Types of experiments

• What is a lab experiment?

  an experiment that takes place in a carefully controlled environment
• what are strengths to lab experiments?

  • high control over extraneous variable
  • high internal validity
  • replication possible
• what are limitation to lab experiments?

  • May lack generalisability
  • Low mundane realism
  • Demand characteristics
• what is a field experiment?

  an experiment that takes place in a natural setting
• what are strengths to field experiment?

  • higher mundane realism
  • participants usually unaware that its an experiment
  • high external validity
• what are limitations to field experiment?

  • loss of control of extraneous variables
  • replication not possible
  • ethical issues
• what is a natural experiment?

  an experiment where the IV is pre-existing and would have changed even if experimenter was not interested
• what are strengths to natural experiments?

  • high external validity
  • only ethical option
• what are limitations to natural experiment?

  • generalisability limited because naturally occurring event can happen rarely
  • participants not randomly allocated
• what is a quasi experiment?

  have an IV that is based on an existing difference between people
• what is strength of quasi experiment?

  • controlled conditions
• what are limitations to quasi experiments?

  • cannot randomly allocate e