Struggling to make full yet concise notes for Psychology? Whether you're studying for AS or A-Level, these notes will help you achieve the highest. This covers the 'research methods' section of the AS specification and can be used for A2 as well. With detailed evaluation points and summarised ideas...
Types of Experiments
Laboratory Field
• Conducted in high controlled • Carried out in natural environments
environments • The IV in manipulated by the
• Participants are generally randomly experimenter just like the laboratory
allocated to the different conditions experiment
• Some situational variables are controlled
Strengths Strengths
• High degree of control over the variables • Natural environment – findings likely to
– cause and effect relationship between represent what you would usually find in
IV and DV a real-life setting (ecological validity)
• Much easier to replicate the findings as • Low demand characteristics
all the other variables can be kept the
same
Limitations Limitations
• High degree of control – artificial settings • Natural environment – lower degree of
• Demand characteristics – may not control over variables – can’t control
represent behaviour in a real-life setting extraneous variables (reduces the internal
as they are likely to know that they are validity)
taking part in an experiment • Hard to replicate study (can’t control the
variables)
Natural Quasi
• Carried out in a naturally occurring • IV that is based on existing differences
environment between people (e.g. gender, age etc).
• The experimenter does not directly • Nobody has manipulated this variable, it
manipulate the IV simply exists.
• Researcher takes advantage of a pre-
existing independent variable
• IV that is natural NOT the setting
Strengths Strengths
• Natural environment – findings likely to • Natural environment – findings likely to
represent what you would usually find in represent what you would usually find in
a real-life setting (ecological validity) a real-life setting (ecological validity)
• Low demand characteristics • Low demand characteristics
Limitations Limitations
• Natural environment – lower degree of • Natural environment – lower degree of
control over variables – can’t control control over variables – can’t control
extraneous variables (reduces the extraneous variables (reduces the internal
internal validity) validity)
• Hard to replicate study (can’t control the • Hard to replicate study (can’t control the
variables)/ unlikely the situation will be variables)/ unlikely the situation will be
exactly the same again exactly the same again
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