Field Experiment

Sometimes, a laboratory setting isn't the best option for investigating a phenomenon when conducting research. Whilst lab experiments offer a lot of control, they are artificial and do not truly represent the real world, which causes issues with ecological validity. This is where field experiments come in.

Both laboratory and field experiments manipulate a variable to see if it can be controlled and affect the dependent variable. Also, both are valid forms of experimentation.

• We will start by learning the field experiment definition and identify how field experiments are used in research.
• Moving on from this, we will explore a field experiment example carried out by Hofling in 1966.
• Finally, we will discuss the field experiment's advantages and disadvantages.

Real-life environment, freepik.com/rawpixel

Field Experiment Definition

A field experiment is a research method where the independent variable is manipulated, and the dependent variable is measured in a real-world setting.

Field Experiment: Psychology

Field experiments are usually designed and used in psychology when researchers want to observe participants in their natural environment, but the phenomenon is not naturally occurring. Therefore, the researcher must manipulate the investigated variables to measure the outcome, e.g. how students behaviour when a teacher or a substitute teacher is present.

The procedure of field experiments in psychology is the following:

1. Identify a research question, variables, and hypotheses.
2. Recruit participants.
3. Carry out the investigation.
4. Analyse data and report results.

Field Experiment: Example

Hofling (1966) conducted a field experiment to investigate obedience in nurses. The study recruited 22 nurses working in a psychiatric hospital on a night shift, although they were unaware they were taking part in the study.

During their shift, a doctor, who was actually the researcher, called the nurses and asked them to urgently administer 20mg of a drug to a patient (double the maximum dosage). The doctor/researcher told the nurses that he would authorise medication administration later.

The research aimed to identify if people broke the rules and obeyed authoritative figures' orders.

The Hofling study is an example of a field experiment. It was carried out in a natural setting, and the researcher manipulated the situation (instructed nurses to administer high-dosage medication) to see if it affected whether nurses obeyed the authoritative figure or not.

Field Experiment: Advantages and Disadvantages

Like any type of research, field experiments have certain advantages and disadvantages that must be considered before opting for this research method.

Field Experiments: Advantages

Some of the advantages of field experiments include the following:

• The results are more likely to reflect real-life compared to laboratory research, as they have higher ecological validity.

• There is less likelihood of demand characteristics and the Hawthorne Effect influencing the participant's behaviour, increasing the validity of the findings.

  Hawthorne effect is when people adjust their behaviour because they know they are being observed.

• It is high in mundane realism compared to lab research; this refers to the extent to which the setting and materials used in a study reflect real-life situations. Field experiments have high mundane realism. Thus, they have high external validity.

• It is an appropriate research design when researching on a large scale that can't be carried out in artificial settings.

  A field experiment would be an appropriate research design when investigating children's behaviour changes at school. More specifically, to compare their behaviours around their usual and substitute teachers.

• It can establish causal relationships because researchers manipulate a variable and measure its effect. However, extraneous variables can make this difficult. We will address these issues in the next paragraph.

Field Experiments: Disadvantages

The disadvantages of field experiments are the following:

• Researchers have less control over extraneous/confounding variables, reducing confidence in establishing causal relationships.
• It is difficult to replicate the research, making it hard to determine the results' reliability.
• This experimental method has a high chance of collecting a biased sample, making it difficult to generalise the results.
• It may not be easy to record data accurately with so many variables present. Overall, field experiments have less control.
• Potential ethical issues of field experiments include: difficulty getting informed consent, and the researcher may need to deceive participants.