RESEARCH METHODS
- Created by: Destiny Millers
- Created on: 29-01-14 22:54
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- Research Methods
- Laboratory Experiment
- This is a type of experiment carried out under controlled conditions.
- Psychologists use this type of experiment because they are keen to control situational variables
- STRENGTHS
- Allows for random allocation of participants to conditions where appropriate. This makes the experiment reliable because the psychologist cannot influence who participates in which condition.
- Tighter controls of variables. This makes it easier to establish cause and effect.
- Relatively easy to replicate because all factors are controlled and complex equipment are usable because it is in a controlled environment.
- The use of laboratory experiments are often cheaper and less time consuming than other methods.
- WEAKNESS
- Demand characteristic means that participants may be aware of the experiment and may change their behaviour.
- A controlled environment means that the setting is artificial.
- May have low ecological validity which means it will be difficult to generalise to other situations.
- There may be an experimenter effect. The experiment is bias when the experimenter's expectation affects the behaviour of participants.
- This is a type of experiment carried out under controlled conditions.
- FIELD EXPERIMENT
- This takes place anywhere in a natural setting and it is partially controlled.
- STRENGHTS
- People will behave more naturally than in a laboratory experiment.
- The results are easier to generalise to the wider population because the experiment is natural.
- WEAKNESS
- Control over extraneous variables are much harder in a natural environment, this makes it difficult to replicate the experiment.
- Doing this type of experiment is time-consuming and very costly.
- NATURAL EXPERIMENTS
- Experimental conditions are determined by nature or by other factors out of the control of the experimenters.
- STRENGHTS
- There may be ethical implications with carrying out an experiment in this way. It may be unacceptable to manipulate the independent variable.
- Less chance of demand characteristics or experimenter bias interfering.
- WEAKNESS
- The independent variable is not controlled by the experimenter.
- No control over the allocation of participants to groups (random in a 'true experiment').
- Laboratory Experiment
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