Research Methods: Experiments

Question 1

What is the experimental method

Answer 1

The experimental method is a research method used to test cause and effect

Question 2

What is meant by independent variable?

Answer 2

The variable the researcher manipulates/ changes

Question 3

What is the dependent variable

Answer 3

The variable that is measured

Question 4

What is the purpose of an aim?

Answer 4

To see whether what is changed in the IV causes changes in the DC

A psychologist tests whether sleep affects memory.
IV: amount of sleep (8 hours vs 3 hours)
DV: score on a memory test

Question 5

What is a laboratory experiment

Answer 5

An experiment conducted in a highly controlled environment where the researcher manipulates the IV
Participants complete a memory test in a psychology lab while background noise is controlled.

Question 6

What are the strengths of a laboratory experiment

Answer 6

Highly control of variables
Easy to replicate
High internal validity (clear cause and effect)

Question 7

What are the weakeness of labotory experiments?

Answer 7

Low ecological validity - as it’s controlled and in a lab setting it doesn’t have real world application
Participants may show deman characteristics -

Question 8

What is demand characteristics

Answer 8

Demand characteristics are cues in a research study that allow participants to guess the aim of the experiment and change their behaviour.
Participants may try to behave in a way they think the researcher expects or wants.

Question 9

What are field experiments

Answer 9

An experiment carried out in a real life setting and the researcher manipulates the IV

A researcher changes store music in a supermarket to see if it affects spending behaviour.

Question 10

What are the strengths of field experiments

Answer 10

Higher ecological validity - can have real world application
Behaviour is more natural - as your in a real life setting so you wouldn’t have to change your behaviour

Question 11

What are the weakness of field experiment

Answer 11

Less control of extraneous variables (e.g backround noise
Harder to replicate
Possible ethical issues as people may not know they’re being studied

Question 12

What are natural experiments?

Answer 12

An experiment where the IV naturally occurs and not manipulated by the researcher

Studying the psychological effects of a natural disaster on people who experienced it vs those who did not. - researchers can’t manipulate a natural disaster

Question 13

What are the strengths of natural experiments

Answer 13

Useful when variables cannot be ethically manipulated
Can study real world events

Question 14

Weaknesses of natural experiments

Answer 14

Very little control over variables
Hard to replicate

Question 15

What is a quasi -experiment

Answer 15

An experiment when the IV is based on existing difference between participants. The researcher does not manipulate the IV

Comparing memory ability in males vs females.
IV = gender (pre-existing)
DV = memory score

Question 16

What are the strengths of the Quasi experiment

Answer 16

Allows study of variables that cannot be manipulated
Often ethically acceptable

Question 17

Weakness if quasi experiments ?

Answer 17

Participants cannot be randomly allocated
Confounding variables may affect results