Laboratory experiment

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A man-made test arrangement is called a laboratory experiment . A laboratory experiment can be part of a laboratory study . In contrast to a field experiment, where the experimenter is only an observer, the experimenter can intervene in the experiment in a laboratory experiment.

The experimental set-up represents an excerpt from nature that is considered separately. The laboratory section from nature is called a system . The rest of nature is called the environment . The system boundary is between the system and the environment. An example of this is the thermodynamic system .

In a laboratory experiment, one examines causal relationships, such as how the system (inside) changes due to external influences through the system boundary.

A laboratory experiment must be documented with a test protocol.

Demarcation

It is only an experiment if

  1. a distinction between independent (uV) and dependent variables (aV) is possible,
  2. the uV always precedes the aV and
  3. the data of at least two test subject groups are compared.

In order to meet the requirements for a laboratory experiment, the conditions and the test subjects for the experiment must be randomized and as far as possible a condition control must be possible (see research design ).

target

Strict variable isolation and extensive control of sources causing secondary variance allow the basic scientific search for causal relationships between isolated stimulus conditions and behavioral parameters; the ceteris paribus assumption usually implied in this can only be realized under laboratory conditions.

Critical appraisal

The advantage of laboratory experiments is that the test conditions can be controlled to a high degree, which ensures high internal validity .

literature

  • Hager, W. (1987). Basics of planning experiments to test empirical hypotheses in psychology. In G. Lüer (Ed.), General Experimental Psychology (43-253). Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer Verlag.
  • Nieding, G. & Ohler, P. (2004). Laboratory Experimental Methods. In R. Mangold, P. Vorderer & G. Bente, (Eds.). Textbook of media psychology (Chapter 15). Göttingen: Hogrefe.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hager, W. (1987): Basics of an experimental design for testing empirical hypotheses in psychology. In: G. Lüer (Ed.), General Experimental Psychology (43-253). Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer Verlag.
  2. ↑ Nieding, G. & Ohler, P. (2004): Laboratory Experimental Methods. In: R. Mangold, P. Vorderer & G. Bente, (Eds.), Textbook of Media Psychology (Chapter 15). Göttingen: Hogrefe.