Field Experiments

Most psychologists are sensitive to issues of ecological validity and take pains
to make their laboratory procedures as naturalistic as possible. Additionally,
much research is conducted outside the laboratory in what are known as
field experiments. In such studies, the subjects are unobtrusively observed
(perhaps by a confederate of the researcher who would not attract their notice)
in natural settings such as classroom, playground, or workplace. Field
experiments, then, represent a compromise in that there is bound to be less
control than is obtainable in a laboratory, yet the behaviors observed are
likely to be natural. Such naturalistic experimentation is likely to continue
to increase in the future.

Although experimentation is only one of many methods available to psychologists,
it fills a particular need, and that need is not likely to decline in
the foreseeable future. In trying to understand the complex relationships
among the many variables that affect the way people think and act, experimentation
makes a valuable contribution: It is the one methodology available
that can reveal unambiguous cause-effect relationships.
Sources for Further Study
Barber, Theodore Xenophon. Pitfalls in Human Research. New York: Pergamon
Press, 1976. It is useful to learn from the mistakes of others, and Barber
provides an opportunity by describing ten categories of likely errors
in designing and conducting research. This is not a long book (117
pages), and it is enjoyable reading, especially the specific accounts of
flawed research.
Carlson, Neil R. Psychology: The Science of Behavior. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River,
N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1999. The second chapter of this introductory psychology
text may be the most reader-friendly reference in this bibliography.
Titled “The Ways and Means of Psychology,” it provides a brief
introductory overview of the scientific method, experimental and correlational
research, and basic statistics; it is well suited for the novice. Colorful
graphics, a concluding summary, and a list of key terms are all helpful.
Hearst, Eliot, ed. The First Century of Experimental Psychology. Hillsdale, N.J.:
Lawrence Erlbaum, 1979. Primarily for the student interested in the history
of experimental psychology. This is a 693-page book; while most of
the fourteen chapters are devoted to specific topics in psychology such as
emotion, development, and psychopathology, the final chapter by William
Estes provides an excellent overview of experimental psychology
and considers some broad, profound issues.

Shaughnessy, John J., and Eugene B. Zechmeister. Research Methods in Psychology.
6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. This is one of a number of
textbooks that discuss psychological research in the light of the scientific
method. It is fairly accessible, has a thorough and competent description
of experimentation, and considers some ethical issues. Glossary, index,
and references are all provided.
Stern, Paul C., and Linda Kalof. Evaluating Social Science Research. 2d ed. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1996. A clearly written, nonthreatening
book for the early to middle-level college student. The focus of the author
is on encouraging the critical analysis of research; to this end, caseresearch
examples are presented for examination. End-of-chapter exercises
are included to aid the student in integrating information.
Mark B. Alcorn
See also: Animal Experimentation. 344