Laboratory Experiments (Psychology A2)

Created by: lambam12
Created on: 15-12-12 16:02


	Laboratory Experiments (Psychology A2)
	Advantages High degree of control - experimenters can control all variables in the situation. Eg) The IV and DV can be very precisely defined (or operationalised) and measured. This leads to greater accuracy and objectivity. Replication - other researchers can easily repeat the experiment and check results. Cause and effect - it should be possible to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between the IV and DV, provided that experiment is well designed. Technical equipment - easier to use complicated technical equipment in laboratory Stronger effects outside the lab? - Although lab experiments often criticised for being artificial, may be cause that some lab effects are even stronger outside lab that those recorded in it. Eg) Milgrims study (1963)	Disadvantages Experimenter bias - sometimes experimenter's expectations about study can affect results. Participants may be influenced by these expectations. Problems operationalising IV and DV - sometimes in order to gain a precise measure of behaviour, the measure itself becomes too specific and doesn't relate to wider behaviour. Low external (ecological) validity - high degree of control can make experimental situation artificial and unlike real life. May be difficult to generalise results to other settings. May may be overly worried by surroundings and not act in a way that is representative of their normal everyday behaviour. Demand characteristics (Orne, 1962) - sometimes participants try to guess purpose of experiment and act according to 'demands' of experiment. They could even act in a deliberately contradictory way.
	Evaluation

Laboratory Experiments (Psychology A2)

Advantages

High degree of control - experimenters can control all variables in the situation. Eg) The IV and DV can be very precisely defined (or operationalised) and measured. This leads to greater accuracy and objectivity.
Replication - other researchers can easily repeat the experiment and check results.
Cause and effect - it should be possible to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between the IV and DV, provided that experiment is well designed.
Technical equipment - easier to use complicated technical equipment in laboratory
Stronger effects outside the lab? - Although lab experiments often criticised for being artificial, may be cause that some lab effects are even stronger outside lab that those recorded in it. Eg) Milgrims study (1963)

Disadvantages

Experimenter bias - sometimes experimenter's expectations about study can affect results. Participants may be influenced by these expectations.
Problems operationalising IV and DV - sometimes in order to gain a precise measure of behaviour, the measure itself becomes too specific and doesn't relate to wider behaviour.
Low external (ecological) validity - high degree of control can make experimental situation artificial and unlike real life. May be difficult to generalise results to other settings. May may be overly worried by surroundings and not act in a way that is representative of their normal everyday behaviour.
Demand characteristics (Orne, 1962) - sometimes participants try to guess purpose of experiment and act according to 'demands' of experiment. They could even act in a deliberately contradictory way.

Get Revising

Laboratory Experiments (Psychology A2)

Laboratory Experiments (Psychology A2)

Advantages

Disadvantages

Evaluation

Comments

Similar Psychology resources: