Evaluation

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of laboratory experiments?

  Strengths:

  • High control over confounding and extraneous variables
  • High internal validity
  • Replication is easy
  • High level of control

  Weaknesses:

  • May lack generalisability
  • Low external validity
  • Demand characteristics may be present
  • Tasks may lack everyday-ness
  • Low mundane realism
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of field experiments?

  Strengths:

  • Higher mundane realism
  • More valid and authentic behaviour
  • High external validity

  Weaknesses:

  • Cause and effect between IV and DV may be much more difficult to establish
  • Important ethical issues
  • Consent, privacy etc
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of natural experiments?

  Strengths:

  • High external validity
  • Real-world issues and problems

  Weaknesses:

  • Natural events may be rare, reducing opportunity for research
  • Hard to generalise
  • Participants may not be randomly allocated to experimental conditions
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of quasi experiments?

  Strengths:

  • Carried out under controlled conditions
  • High control
  • Replication is easy

  Weaknesses:

  • Random allocation is not possible
  • May be confounding variables
  • Cannot confirm that the IV has caused any observed change
  • Low internal validity