Experiments and Designs
Select and evaluate laboratory, field and natural experiments and the main participant designs.
How to study Higher Psychology
Build each answer from accurate psychological knowledge, named evidence, application to behaviour, analysis and justified evaluation.
Core concepts
Concept 1
laboratory experiments
Exam cue: Classify the experiment by setting and manipulation, not by appearance alone.
Concept 2
field experiments
Exam cue: Separate method from participant design.
Concept 3
natural experiments
Exam cue: Link each design strength or weakness to the research aim.
Concept 4
independent measures
Concept 5
repeated measures
Concept 6
matched pairs
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Calling any study outside a laboratory a field experiment.
Guardrail: Avoid deterministic claims, unsupported causation and generic evaluation disconnected from the named evidence.
Confusing natural experiment with naturalistic observation.
Guardrail: Avoid deterministic claims, unsupported causation and generic evaluation disconnected from the named evidence.
Ignoring order effects in repeated measures.
Guardrail: Avoid deterministic claims, unsupported causation and generic evaluation disconnected from the named evidence.
Memory anchors
Laboratory experiment
A controlled setting with manipulation of an independent variable.
Field experiment
An independent variable is manipulated in a natural setting.
Natural experiment
The independent variable varies without researcher manipulation.
Independent measures
Different participants take part in each condition.
Repeated measures
The same participants take part in every condition.
Matched pairs
Different participants are matched on relevant characteristics across conditions.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
What defines a laboratory experiment?
What is a major strength of a laboratory experiment?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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