Research utilizing experimentation is increasingly being conducted in venues outside the research laboratory. Such projects, when they involve the manipulation of an independent variable in realistic circumstances, are called “field experiments.” Natural experiments, involving research conducted in realistic circumstances where the researcher does not manipulate the independent variable, are discussed elsewhere. Distinction From Laboratory Experiments
Research utilizing experimentation is undertaken in a variety of contexts and settings. Decisions concerning the circumstances under which to conduct an experiment typically reflect a combination of considerations including the nature of the research question, the availability of research resources, and the researcher’s interest in balancing concerns about the validity and the generalizability of subsequent
Our understanding of several communication phenomena has benefited extensively from informative reports of “natural” experiments. Natural experiments are infrequently detailed in the social and behavioral sciences, however, because they result only when naturally arising circumstances make it possible to separate and examine typically confounded phenomena. Like field experiments, natural experiments occur in venues where the
An experiment is a scientific study designed to uncover information about cause and effect through examining the influence of changes in some variable or condition on a measured outcome. In a true experiment, changes in one or more independent variables are tested and the resulting effects on one or more dependent variables are assessed. For
Robbers Cave Experiment Definition The Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that an attempt to simply bring hostile groups together is not enough to reduce intergroup prejudice. Rather, this experiment confirmed that groups must cooperate and have common goals to truly build peace. Thus, although contact is vital to reducing tensions between groups, interdependence is essential for
Bobo Doll Experiment Definition Albert Bandura conducted the Bobo doll experiment in the 1960s to investigate whether children could learn new behaviors through observation. The descriptive name of these studies comes from an inflatable child’s toy, a “Bobo doll,” that had a weighted bottom which allowed it to be repeatedly knocked over and yet bob
President John F. Kennedy and several of his key advisers met in March 1961 to discuss a Central Intelligence Agency plan for the invasion of Cuba. The consensus of the group was to proceed with the invasion. At least one adviser, Arthur Schleshinger, had serious doubts about the wisdom of the plan, but he did