field experiments

what are field experiments?

• take place in natural, real world settings

what is an example of field experiments?

• rosenthal and jacobson pygmalion in the classroom (IQ tested students, labelling)

what is a practical advantage of field experiments?

• small scale

• few participants

• easy to conduct

what is an ethical disadvantage of a field experiment?

• may involve deception or lack of informed consent

• mainly ^ if conducted covertly

what is a disadvantage of reliability in field experiments?

• hard to replicate bc lack of control over variables

what is an disadvantage of representativeness for field experiments?

• small scale

• findings not generalisable to wider population

which theorist favours field experiments?

• interpretivists - qualitative data in natural environments

• positivists dislike bc they struggle to establish cause and effect relationships