EXPERIMENTS

EXPERIMENTS

Research method which manipulates and measures variables to discover cause and effect
3 Types of experiment
1. LABORATORY - Highly controlled conditions, variable being manipulated by researcher is IV (Independent variable), change in behaviour measured by researcher is the DV (dependent variable)
  1. STRENGTHS
    1. Can control variables
    2. Standardised procedures so easily replicable
    3. Can make statements about cause and effect
  2. WEAKNESSES
    1. Not ecologically valid, artificial, highly controlled situation, not true to real life
    2. it is not always be possible to completely control all variables. There may be confounding variables affecting the DV
    3. Demand characteristics, if participant knows they are in an experiment they may change their behaviour
2. FIELD - Carried out in the natural environment, IV is still manipulated by researcher
  1. STRENGTHS
    1. Less demand characterisitics
    2. Ecologically valid
  2. WEAKNESSES
    1. Harder to control variables could be many confounding varaibles
    2. Ethics - Participants should give informed consent and be debriefed afterwards but difficult to do this in field experiments
3. QUASI (NATURAL) - The IV is not manipulated by the researcher, it is naturally occuring
  1. STRENGTHS
    1. Ecologically valid
  2. WEAKNESSES
    1. Harder to establish cause & effect, could be many confounding variables
3 Experimental designs
1. INDEPENDENT MEASURES - different participants for each condition
2. MATCHED PAIRS - different but similar participants used for each condition, participants put in matched pairs based on key variable
3. REPEATED MEASURES - same participants used in all conditions

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	Created by elliehaf11 about 10 years ago