Field Experiments

Field Experiments

1. How does it differ from a laboratory experiment?

   • It takes place in the subject's natural surroundings
   • Those involved do not know they are subjects

2. Types of Field Experiments

   • Actor tests
   • Correspondence tests

3. Ethical Issues

   • The subjects have no knowledge and have given no consent

4. The Comparative Method

   • 'thought experiment'/'natural experiment'
   • How does it work?
     • Identify 2 groups that are alike in all major respects except for the one variable we are interested in
     • Then compare the two groups to see if this one difference between them has any effect
   • Advantages
     • Avoids artificiality
     • Can be used to study past events
     • Avoids the ethical problems of harming/deceiving subjects