Field Experiments

Field Experiment

Takes place in a natural or normal environment for the behavior being studied

Disadvantages

1. Difficult to control variables, causing influence from extraneous variables 2. Difficult to replicate exactly 3. Problems of access to where study is done (public bathrooms) 4. Ethical problems of consent, deception, invasion of privacy, etc.

Advantages

1. Greater ecological validity since surroundings are natural 2. Less demand characteristics 3. IV and DV are retained 4. Behavior is natural so it tells us how people behave in real life

Example(s)

1. Piliavin: study conducted in New York Subway where natural behavior of participants could be observed without their knowledge that they were in a study 2. Nelson: Interviews of children ages 3-4 & 6-8 conducted in pre-schools around University of Illinois