A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

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What characterizes a laboratory experiment?

Conducted outdoors in a natural setting
Involves observing subjects in their normal environment
Conducted in highly controlled conditions
Tested on randomly assigned groups

The correct answer is: Conducted in highly controlled conditions

A laboratory experiment is characterized by being conducted in highly controlled conditions, which allows researchers to manipulate the independent variable while keeping other variables constant. This level of control is essential for establishing cause-and-effect relationships. The controlled environment minimizes external factors that could influence the results, thereby increasing the validity of the findings. In contrast, conducting experiments outdoors in a natural setting or observing subjects in their normal environment refers to field studies or observational research, which do not provide the same level of control as laboratory experiments. While randomized assigning of groups can occur in both laboratory and field experiments, it is the controlled conditions that primarily define a laboratory experiment.