7.1.4.2 Field Experiments

• What is the purpose of manipulating the independent variable in a Field Experiment?

  To observe its effect on the dependent variable
• How does control differ between lab experiments and field experiments?

  Lab experiments have high control
• What are the key trade-offs between the advantages and disadvantages of field experiments?

  • High ecological validity vs. low control
  • Reduced demand characteristics vs. ethical concerns
  • Practicality vs. complexity in setting up and managing
• What is the main difference between the control in field experiments and lab experiments?

  Field experiments have less control over variables
• Why might the practicality of field experiments vary depending on the setting?

  Because the complexity of setting up and managing the study depends on the real-world environment
• What are the key features of Field Experiments?

  • Conducted in real-world environments
  • Manipulation of independent variable
  • Observation of dependent variable
  • Participants often unaware of the study
  • Results are more realistic and applicable
• How do Field Experiments differ from lab experiments?

  They occur in natural settings
• What helps reduce demand characteristics in Field Experiments?

  Participants being unaware of the study
• What is manipulated in a Field Experiment?

  The independent variable
• Where are field experiments conducted?

  Real-world settings, such as parks or schools
• What strategy can be used to address invasion of privacy in field experiments?

  Anonimize data and conduct in public spaces
• How does photosynthesis work in plants?

  Process of photosynthesis:

  1. Light absorption by chlorophyll
  2. Light-dependent reactions: water splits, electrons excited
  3. Electron transport chain: ATP and NADPH produced
  4. Calvin cycle (light-independent reactions):

  • CO2 fixation
  • Reduction of fixed carbon
  • Regeneration of RuBP

  1. Glucose and other carbohydrates synthesized
• What do descriptive statistics summarize in data analysis?

  Key metrics like mean and median
• What are the key ethical issues in field experiments and their mitigation strategies?

  • Lack of informed consent: Ensure participants aren't harmed or distressed
  • Invasion of privacy: Anonymize data and conduct the study in public spaces
  • Manipulation of participants: Keep manipulations minimal and necessary
• What is the meaning of "high ecological validity" in the context of field experiments?

  The results are more applicable to everyday life
• How can researchers mitigate the lack of informed consent in field experiments?

  By ensuring participants aren't harmed or distressed
• Why can field experiments raise ethical concerns?

  Because they may be conducted without informed consent
• Why do field experiments have high ecological validity?

  They are conducted in real-world settings
• Which type of experiment would have higher ecological validity but lower control?

  Field experiment
• How can the reduced control over variables in field experiments affect the reliability of the findings?

  It can negatively affect the reliability of the findings
• What do successful field experiments in psychology reveal?

  Insights into real-world behavior
• What is the first step in designing a field experiment?

  Develop a hypothesis
• Why are participants often unaware of being studied in field experiments?

  To lead to more natural behavior
• What is the purpose of a T-Test in field experiments?

  • To determine if the IV had a significant effect
• What is a key disadvantage of field experiments?

  Less control over variables
• What is the main difference in setting between lab experiments and field experiments?

  Lab experiments use a controlled environment
• What do both lab and field experiments share in common?

  They manipulate an IV and measure a DV
• What are the three main analysis methods in field experiments?

  • Descriptive Statistics: Summarizes data with mean, median, mode
  • T-Tests: Compares means of two groups
  • Chi-Square Test: Analyzes categorical data
• What does high ecological validity mean in the context of field experiments?

  Results are applicable to everyday life
• What is the use case for descriptive statistics in data analysis?

  • Understanding the distribution of data
• What key finding emerged from the Stanford Prison Experiment?

  Guard roles led to aggressive behavior
• What are the key characteristics of field experiments?

  • Conducted in real-world settings
  • Participants are often unaware of being studied
  • High ecological validity
  • Less control over variables
• What was the main setup of the Stanford Prison Experiment?

  Students assigned roles of guards or prisoners
• Why do field experiments have high ecological validity?

  Because they are conducted in real-world settings
• How does careful analysis and interpretation of data benefit field experiments?

  It allows drawing meaningful conclusions
• What is the first derivative of $x^2$?


  $2x$
• What must researchers ensure regarding participants in field experiments?

  They do not harm participants or infringe on privacy
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research methods?

  Strengths:

  • Provides in-depth, rich data
  • Flexible and adaptable to new information
  • Captures complex phenomena

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Time-consuming and labor-intensive
  • Potential for researcher bias
  • Limited generalizability
  • Difficulty in replicating results
• What are the steps of the scientific method?

  1. Ask a question
  2. Do background research
  3. Construct a hypothesis
  4. Test the hypothesis by doing an experiment
  5. Analyze the data and draw a conclusion
  6. Communicate the results
• Which statistical test would you use to compare means of two groups?

  T-Test