experimental methods:

Laboratory experiments features:

•conducted in artificial, well controlled environments

•IV is manipulated

•participants can be randomly allocated to conditions

Laboratory experiments strengths/ weaknesses:

•can controlled factors

•increased validity

•replicable

•unnatural setting

•demand characteristic

Field experiments features:

•conducted in a natural setting

•IV is manipulated

•participants can be randomly allocated to conditions

Field experiments strengths/weaknesses:

•natural setting=natural behaviour

•less demand characteristics

•lower control over variables

•difficult to replicate

•participants may be unaware- no informed consent

Natural experiments features:

•IV occurs naturally

•can be in either a lab or field setting

•participants cannot be allocated conditions

Natural experiments strengths/ weaknesses:

•natural setting= natural behaviour

•study things that cant be made in a lab eg natural disaster

•cost effective

•no control- confounding variables

•low reliability

Quasi experiment features:

•IV is based on existing differences between people

•cannot be randomly allocated to conditions

•not technically an experiment as nothing is manipulated

Quasi experiments strengths/weaknesses:

•higher validity

•provide higher level of evidence

•lack of random assignment

•confounding variables

•potential for selection bias