How to conduct a field experiment?

The steps for conducting a field experiment are: identify a research question, variables, and hypotheses recruit participantscarry out the experimentanalyse the data and report the results

Field Experiment

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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.

Despite its name, field experiments, whilst they can be conducted in a field, are not restricted to a literal field.

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.

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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.

If you had to research travel, a field experiment could be performed on a train. Also, you could analyse a car or bike ride out in the streets. Similarly, someone might conduct an experiment in a school investigating different phenomena present in classrooms or school playgrounds.

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:

Identify a research question, variables, and hypotheses.
Recruit participants.
Carry out the investigation.
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 results showed that 95% of the nurses obeyed the order, despite breaking the rules. Only one questioned the doctor.

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.

Field Experiment - Key Takeaways

The field experiment definition is a research method where the independent variable is manipulated, and the dependent variable is measured in a real-world setting.
Field experiments are usually used in psychology when researchers want to observe participants in their natural environment. The phenomenon is not naturally occurring, so the researcher must manipulate the variables to measure the outcome.
Hofling (1966) used a field experiment to investigate if nurses wrongfully obeyed authoritative figures in their workplace.
Field experiments have high ecological validity, establish causal relationships, and reduce the chances of demand characteristics interfering with research.
However, they offer less control, and confounding variables may be an issue. From the ethical perspective, participants cannot always consent to participate and may need to be deceived to be observed. Replicating field experiments is also difficult.

Frequently Asked Questions about Field Experiment

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

In field experiments, researchers manipulate the independent variable. On the other hand, in natural experiments, the researcher does not manipulate anything in the investigation.

Hofling (1966) utilised a field experiment to identify if nurses would break the rules and obey an authoritative figure.

A disadvantage of a field experiment is that researchers cannot control the extraneous variables, and this may reduce the validity of the findings.

The steps for conducting a field experiment are:

identify a research question, variables, and hypotheses
recruit participants
carry out the experiment
analyse the data and report the results

Final Field Experiment Quiz

Field Experiment Quiz - Teste dein Wissen

Question

What is a field experiment?

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Answer

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

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Question

Which of the following statement is correct?

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Answer

The researcher manipulates the variables in a controlled setting.

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Question

What type of validity is mundane realism related to?

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Answer

External validity.

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Why are field experiments considered to have low reliability?

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Answer

It is difficult to replicate field studies and therefore other researchers can't exactly replicate the study to identify if they find similar results.

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Question

What is the Hawthorne effect?

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Answer

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

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Question

What is the procedure for field experiments?

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Answer

The procedure of field experiments are:

identify a research question, variables, and hypotheses
recruit participants
carry out the experiment
analyse the data and report the results

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Question

Why do researchers use field experiments?

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Answer

Researchers use field experiments when they want to measure phenomena in real-life settings.

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Question

What are the advantages of field experiments?

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Answer

The advantages of field experiments are:

high ecological validity
less likelihood of the Hawthorne effect affecting the validity of the results
high mundane realism
a good experiment design to use when attempting to collect data from a large sample

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Question

What are the disadvantages of field experiments?

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Answer

The disadvantages of field experiments are:

researchers cannot control extraneous variables
it is difficult to establish the reliability of research
sample bias may influence results
difficulties recording data
potential ethical issues

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Question

What are the potential ethical issues that may happen when doing a field experiment?

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Answer

Deception of participants.

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Question

What did Hofling (1966) investigate using a field experiment?

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Answer

Hofling (1966) used a field experiment to investigate if nurses wrongfully obeyed authoritative figures in their workplace.

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Question

When may a researcher use a field experiment?

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Answer

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.

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Question

True or false: In field experiments, variables are manipulated.

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Answer

True.

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Question

Can variables be manipulated in real-life settings?

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Answer

Yes.

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Question

A study aimed to explore how early parental interactions influenced later attachment styles. Would it be appropriate to use a field experiment?

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Answer

No.

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A study aimed to explore how children responded to authoritative figures versus non-authoritative ones at school. Could a field experiment be used?

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Answer

Yes.

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A field experiment is considered to be generalisable to real-life settings because it has high .

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Answer

mundane realism

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Can a field experiment be used to compare children's behaviour around their usual and substitute teachers?

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Answer

Yes.

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An advantage of lab experiments is that they can establish causal relationships. Can the same be said about field experiments?

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Answer

Yes, but not to the full extent of lab experiments.

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Is it easy to determine the reliability of field experiments?

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Answer

It is difficult to replicate the research, making it hard to determine the results' reliability.

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True or false: A potentially biased sample is an issue for natural experiments.

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Answer

True.

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As the researcher has less control it may be difficult for the researcher to record data.

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accurately

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Question

What are some potential ethical issues that may be raised in field experiments?

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Answer

Potential ethical issues of field experiments include: difficulty getting informed consent, and the researcher may need to deceive participants.

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Question

experiments and experiments both require researchers to manipulate variables.

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Answer

Field, lab

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Researchers have a higher level of control in experiments compared to experiments.

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Answer

lab, field

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Question

Field experiments are carried out in.....

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Answer

real-life settings.

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Field Experiment

Field Experiment Definition

Field Experiment: Psychology

Field Experiment: Example

Field Experiment: Advantages and Disadvantages

Field Experiments: Advantages

Field Experiments: Disadvantages

Field Experiment - Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions about Field Experiment

What is a field experiment?

What is the difference between natural and field experiments?

What is an example of a field experiment?

What is one drawback of field experiments?

How to conduct a field experiment?

Final Field Experiment Quiz

Field Experiment Quiz - Teste dein Wissen

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