Lab experiment

• What is a lab experiment?

  1. They are conducted under controlled conditions, in which the researcher deliberately changes something (IV) to see the effect of this on something else (DV).
  2. Extraneous variables are controlled
  3. Standardised conditions: allows for replication.
• What are the strengths of a lab experiment?

  1. High levels of control.
  2. Can establish cause and effect relationship between IV and DV (as long as extraneous variables had been eliminated).
  3. Easier to replicate.
  4. Less expensive and time consuming than other methods.
  5. High internal validity.
• What are the weaknesses of lab experiments?

  1. Demand characteristics/ social desirability.
  2. Experimenter bias.
  3. Low ecological validity.
  4. Ethics: to avoid demand characteristics participants may be deceived, no informed consent).
• What are two advantages of lab experiments?

  1. Generates quantitative data: it is objective. This is a strength as it is facts, therefore there is no personal bias.
  2. If a cause and effect has been established, we can predict or control behaviour.
• What are two disadvantages of lab experiments?

  1. Many experiments use males from western cultures. This is a weakness as we cannot generalise or apply findings to the rest of the world.
  2. Participants usually know they are in an experiment. This is a weakness as they may change behaviour to impress the researcher.