experiments

• what are the 4 types of experiments

  • laboratory
  • field
  • natural
  • quasi
• lab experiments


  defined by the high level of control the researcher has
• the experimenter would control environmental factors as well as the experience each participant experiences by using standardised conditions
• demand characteristics - participants may alter their behaviour due to knowing what is expected from them or guessing the hypothesis
• independent variable is manipulated by the researcher to see how it affects the dependent variable
• advantage of lab experiments


  by controlling the variables one can establish a cause and effect relationship, the variation made in the IV cause the change in the DV.
• Advantages of lab experiments 


  high levels of control could be argued they lab experiments have high internal validity, the observed change in DV is due to the change in IV
• advantages of lab experiments


  they are highly replicable due to standardised conditions.
• negatives of lab experiments


  they lack ecological validity, a type of external validity meaning research cannot be applied to real live situations
• negatives of lab experiments


  tasks are unusual and not like what we do in the real world, they lack mundane realism.
• negative of lab experiments


  people know they are being experimented on , demand characteristics are more likely
• Quasi

  IV has not been determined by the researcher and exists naturally
• pros of quasi

  controlled conditions, high internal validity
• cons of quasi

  cannot randomly allocate participants, more confounding variables present
• field experiment


  natural environment where variables are being controlled
• pros of field experiments


  high ecological validity, more naturalistic
• cons of field experiments


  loss over control over extraneous variables, less replicable
• natural experiment


  IV is brought about by the researcher
• pros of natural experiments


  provides opportunities for research that would have not been allowed due to ethical reasons
• cons of natural experiment

  • natural occurring events may be rare, les replicable
  • difficult to randomise