Psychology- Reseach Methods A2

Lab Experiment

A experiment conducted in a controlled environment which tends to be high in terms of internal validity as extraneous variables are controlled.

Advantages;

• Easily replicated
• Has high internal validity
• Often less time consuming than other methods (interviews)

Disadvantages:

• Artificial and lacks realism
• Participants are aware of the experiments therefore may show demand characteristics
• Experimenter may change the behaviour of the participants- experimenter bias

Field Experiment

An experiment conducted in a more natural envrionment studying behaviours.

Advantages:

• Can still manipulate a variable to see cause and effect
• Higher ecological validity