Field experiments (eyewitness testimony)

Field experiments and eyewitness testimony

Description 

• They are carried out in the participants’ normal environment, that is, in a setting where they would expect to encounter the experimental situation
• The researcher sets up the levels of the independent variable (IV) and measures changes in the dependent variable (DV)
• The experimental design used can be independent groups or repeated measures
• Even though the researcher is working in the participants’ natural setting for the behaviour being investigated, they are still deliberately manipulating the IV and imposing some controls, so cause and effect relationships can still be investigated
• Krackow and Lynn (2003) is an example of a field experiment. They manipulated the IV of touching or not and asking direct or tagged questions. They used an independent measures design and collected both qualitative and quantitative data

Evaluation

Strengths

• They have better ecological…