Answer:
Psychological experiment- experience conducted under special conditions to obtain new scientific knowledge through the purposeful intervention of the researcher in the life activity of the subject. This is an orderly study in which the researcher directly changes a factor (or factors), holds the others constant, and observes the results of systematic changes. Psychology uses laboratory experiments, natural experiments, and formative experiments. Depending on the stage of the research, I distinguish between a pilot study and the actual experiment. Experiments can be overt or with a hidden purpose. Laboratory experiment.
This is the most common and respected scientific psychology experiment. It allows you to control dependent and independent variables as strictly as possible.
Natural (field) experiment . This is an experiment carried out in ordinary life, when there seems to be no experiment and no experimenter.
· Formative (psychological and pedagogical) experiment.
An experiment involves a person or a group of people participating in the training and formation of certain qualities and skills. And if the result is formed, we do not need to guess what led to this result: it was this technique that led to the result. Depending on the stage of the research, a distinction is made between a pilot study (the so-called draft, pilot study) and the experiment itself.
Explicit and hidden experiments
Depending on the level of awareness, experiments can also be divided into those in which the subject is given full information about the goals and objectives of the study, those in which, for the purposes of the experiment, some information about him from the subject is hidden or distorted (for example, when it is necessary for the subject not to know about a true research hypothesis, he may be told a false one), and those in which the subject is unaware of the purpose of the experiment or even the fact of the experiment itself (for example, experiments involving children).
Observation as a research method in psychology. Types of observation.
Answer:
30) Observation as a method of psychological research belongs to the group empirical methods and acts as a species research activities aimed at obtaining certain knowledge about reality necessary in this moment time. In contrast to experiment, observation is characterized by a low degree of rigidity of control conditions. When using the observation method in research, it allows you to maintain the naturalness of the conditions for the object of observation. Components of observation: researcher - a person who uses the observation method in his research activities; observer - a person who directly conducts observation and records its results; object of observation - a person or group of people being monitored.
Types of observation:
Internal observation (introspection). Internal observation involves the researcher being both the observer and the object of observation. The researcher studies the characteristics of mental phenomena through introspection of the characteristics of his own behavior, his thoughts, and experiences.
External surveillance. In external observation, the observer and the object are external to each other. If the observer is also a researcher, then this type of observation is called external subjective. If the observer and the researcher are different persons, then this type of observation is called external objective.
Participant observation– observation in which the observer for a certain time becomes a direct participant in the activity of the object of observation and acts as a partner for him. An example of participant observation would be the position of a teacher who conducts a lesson with students, becoming involved in their educational activities, and is not considered by them as an observer .
A psychological experiment is an experiment conducted under special conditions to obtain new scientific knowledge through the purposeful intervention of a researcher in the life activity of the subject. This is an orderly study in which the researcher directly changes a factor (or factors), holds the others constant, and observes the results of systematic changes. See Experiment as the study of variables
In a broad sense, a psychological experiment sometimes includes, in addition to the experiment itself, such research methods as testing). However, in a narrow sense (and traditionally in experimental psychology), an experiment is considered an independent method.
Specifics of a psychological experiment
A psychological experiment differs in many ways from experiments in other fields of science.
In a psychology experiment it is very difficult to be sure that we are studying what we want to study.
If a chemist studies iron, he knows what he is studying. What does a psychologist study when he studies the psyche? The psyche as a construct cannot be observed objectively and its activity can only be learned based on its manifestations, for example, in the form of certain behavior.
An experimenter wants to study how lighting conditions affect work efficiency. He changes the illumination, and people react not to the amount of light, but to the fact that such a cute experimenter is next to them...
The water does not boil because it is poured into another flask. An experiment conducted on a person can influence him so strongly that the results speak more about the reaction to the experimenter and the experiment, rather than about the behavioral characteristics of a particular person. In a psychological experiment, the personality of the experimenter turns out to be important: often one experimenter’s people show some results, while another’s show different results. The subject was given instructions, but how? People care about how they are treated; people react subtly to suggestions from the experimenter, which he himself may not be aware of.
Types of experiments
Organization of a psychological experiment
A psychological experiment begins with instructions, or more precisely, with the establishment of certain relationships between the subject and the experimenter. Another task that the researcher faces is sampling: with whom the experiment should be conducted so that its results can be considered reliable. The end of the experiment is processing its results, interpreting the data obtained and presenting them to the psychological community. See→
Scientific quality of a psychological experiment
Scientific quality psychological experiment- this is the objectivity, reliability, validity and reliability of the methods used in it. See→
Possibilities and limitations of experiment as a research method
Experiment is one of the most respected methods scientific research, but it has both its pros and cons. It's reliable but cumbersome; it's impressive but not always ethical. And most importantly, what does it prove? Cm.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
GOU VPO "UDMURT STATE UNIVERSITY"
INSTITUTE OF PEDAGOGY, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
Topic: Experiment as a research method.
Psychological experiment.
Completed by student gr. Z-350500-51
Vasilyeva T.A.
Checked by teacher_____
Ishmuratov A.V.
«_____»___________________
Grade __________________
Izhevsk 2011
1. Experiment. Types of experiment……………………………………3
2. Psychological experiment as a research method……….……..6
3. The main objective of the experimental study.
Validity. Classification………………………………………………………9
4. Interaction between the experimenter and the subject…………..12
5. List of references…………………………………………………….15
1. EXPERIMENT. TYPES OF EXPERIMENT.
An experiment (from Latin experimentum - test, experience) in the scientific method is a method of studying a certain phenomenon under controlled conditions. Differs from observation by active interaction with the object being studied. Typically, an experiment is carried out as part of a scientific research and serves to test a hypothesis and establish causal relationships between phenomena. Experiment is the cornerstone of the empirical approach to knowledge. Popper's criterion puts forward the possibility of setting up an experiment as the main difference between a scientific theory and a pseudoscientific one.
There are several experimental models. A flawless experiment is an experimental model that cannot be implemented in practice, used by experimental psychologists as a standard. This term was introduced into experimental psychology by Robert Gottsdanker, the author of the famous book “Fundamentals of Psychological Experiments,” who believed that the use of such a sample for comparison would lead to more effective improvement of experimental methods and the identification of possible errors in the planning and conduct of a psychological experiment.
A random experiment (random test, random experiment) is a mathematical model of a corresponding real experiment, the result of which cannot be accurately predicted. The mathematical model must satisfy the following requirements: it must be adequate and adequately describe the experiment; the set of observed results must be determined within the framework of the mathematical model under consideration with strictly defined fixed initial data described within the framework of the mathematical model; there must be a fundamental possibility of carrying out an experiment with a random outcome any number of times with constant input data (where is the number of experiments performed); the requirement must be proven or the hypothesis about the stochastic stability of the relative frequency for any observed result defined within the mathematical model must be accepted a priori.
An experiment is not always implemented as intended, so a mathematical equation was invented for the relative frequency of experiment implementations:
Let there be some real experiment and let A denote the result observed within this experiment. Let n experiments be carried out in which result A may or may not be realized. And let k be the number of realizations of the observed result A in n tests performed, assuming that the tests performed are independent.
Types of experiments.
A physical experiment is a way of understanding nature, which consists in studying natural phenomena in specially created conditions. Unlike theoretical physics, which explores mathematical models of nature, physical experiment is designed to explore nature itself.
A computer (numerical) experiment is an experiment on a mathematical model of a research object on a computer, which consists of calculating other parameters of the model based on some parameters and, on this basis, drawing conclusions about the properties of the object described by the mathematical model. This type of experiment can only be conditionally classified as an experiment, because it does not reflect natural phenomena, but is only a numerical implementation of a human-created mathematical model. Indeed, with incorrectness in the mat. model - its numerical solution can be strictly divergent from physical experiment.
A thought experiment in philosophy, physics and some other fields of knowledge is a type of cognitive activity in which the structure of a real experiment is reproduced in the imagination. As a rule, a thought experiment is carried out within the framework of a certain model (theory) to check its consistency. When conducting a thought experiment, contradictions in the internal postulates of the model or their incompatibility with external (in relation to this model) principles that are considered unconditionally true (for example, with the law of conservation of energy, the principle of causality, etc.) may be revealed.
A critical experiment is an experiment whose outcome uniquely determines whether a particular theory or hypothesis is true. This experiment must produce a predicted result that cannot be inferred from other, generally accepted hypotheses and theories.
2. PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIMENT AS A RESEARCH METHOD.
Let's take a psychological experiment as an example and consider it in more detail as a research method.
A psychological experiment is an experiment conducted under special conditions to obtain new scientific knowledge through the purposeful intervention of a researcher in the life activity of the subject.
The concept of “psychological experiment” is interpreted ambiguously by various authors; often, an experiment in psychology is considered to be a complex of different independent empirical methods (the experiment itself, observation, survey, testing). However, traditionally in experimental psychology, experiment is considered an independent method.
In psychology, experimental research has its own specificity, which allows it to be considered separately from research in other sciences. The specificity of a psychological experiment is that: the psyche as a construct cannot be observed objectively and its activity can only be learned based on its manifestations, for example, in the form of certain behavior.
When studying mental processes, it is considered impossible to single out any one of them, and the impact always occurs on the psyche as a whole (or, from a modern point of view, on the body as a single indivisible system).
In experiments with people (as well as some higher animals, for example, primates), there is active interaction between the experimenter and the subject.
This interaction also makes it necessary for the subject to have instructions (which, obviously, is not typical for natural science experiments).
Robert Woodworth (R. S. Woodworth), who published his classic textbook on experimental psychology (Experimental psychology, 1938), defined an experiment as a structured study in which the researcher directly changes some factor (or factors), holds the others constant, and observes the results of systematic changes . He considered the distinctive feature of the experimental method to be the control of the experimental factor, or, in Woodworth's terminology, the “independent variable,” and the tracking of its influence on the observed consequence, or the “dependent variable.” The experimenter's goal is to keep all conditions constant except one - the independent variable.
In a simplified example, the independent variable can be considered as a certain relevant stimulus (St(r)), the strength of which is varied by the experimenter, while the dependent variable is the reaction (R) of the subject, his psyche (P) to the influence of this relevant stimulus. Schematically this can be expressed as follows:
St(r) - relevant stimuli, R - reaction of the subject, P - personality of the subject, his psyche
However, as a rule, the desired stability of all conditions, except for the independent variable, is unattainable in a psychological experiment, since almost always, in addition to these two variables, there are also additional variables, systematic irrelevant stimuli (St(1)) and random stimuli (St(2) ), leading to systematic and random errors, respectively. Thus the final schematic representation of the experimental process looks like this:
Therefore, in an experiment, three types of variables can be distinguished:
1.Independent variable
2. Dependent variable
3.Additional variables (or external variables)
So, the experimenter is trying to establish a functional relationship between the dependent and independent variables, which is expressed in the function R=f(St(r)), while trying to take into account the systematic error that arose as a result of the influence of irrelevant stimuli (examples of systematic error include the phases of the moon, time of day and etc.). To reduce the likelihood of the impact of random errors on the result, the researcher seeks to conduct a series of experiments (an example of a random error could be, for example, fatigue or a speck of dust getting into the subject’s eye).
3. MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH. VALIDITY. CLASSIFICATION.
The general task of psychological experiments is to establish the presence of a connection R=f(S, P) and, if possible, the type of function f (there are different kinds connections - cause-and-effect, functional, correlation, etc.). In this case, R is the reaction of the subject, S is the situation, and P is the personality of the subject, psyche, or “ internal processes" That is, roughly speaking, since mental processes cannot be “seen,” in a psychological experiment, based on the reaction of the subjects to stimulation regulated by the experimenter, some conclusion is made about the psyche, mental processes or personality of the subject.
Validity in a psychological experiment
As in natural science experiments, so in psychological experiments, the cornerstone is the concept of validity: if the experiment is valid, scientists can have some confidence that they measured exactly what they intended to measure. Many measures are taken to ensure all types of validity are met. However, it is impossible to be absolutely sure that in any, even the most well-thought-out study, all validity criteria can be completely met. A completely flawless experiment is unattainable.
Classifications of experiments
Depending on the method of conduct, there are mainly three types of experiments:
· Laboratory experiment
· Field or natural experiment
· Formative, or psychological and pedagogical experiment. The introduction of this species into this classification violates the rules for constructing the classification. Firstly, each object (in this case, research) can be attributed to only one type. However, a formative experiment can be both laboratory and natural. For example, I. P. Pavlov’s experiments on the development of conditioned reflexes in dogs are a laboratory formative experiment, and experiments within the framework of the developmental learning theory of Elkonin and Davydov are predominantly field formative experiments. Secondly, the classification must have only one basis, that is, species are divided according to one characteristic. However, according to such criteria as the method of conduct or conditions of conduct, only laboratory and field experiments can be distinguished, and the formative experiment is distinguished according to another criterion.
· a laboratory experiment is distinguished depending on the conditions of its conduct - the conditions are specially organized by the experimenter. The main task is to ensure high internal validity. It is typical to isolate a single independent variable. The main way to control external variables is elimination. External validity is lower than in the field experiment.
A field or natural experiment is an experiment conducted under conditions that are not controlled by the experimenter. The main task is to ensure high external validity. Isolation of a complex independent variable is typical. The main ways to control external variables are randomization (the levels of external variables in the study exactly correspond to the levels of these variables in life, that is, outside the study) and constancy (making the level of the variable the same for all participants). Internal validity is generally lower than in laboratory experiments.
· The ascertaining experiment is distinguished depending on the result of the influence - the experimenter does not irreversibly change the properties of the participant, does not form new properties in him and does not develop those that already exist.
· Formative experiment - the experimenter changes the participant irreversibly, forms in him such properties that did not exist before or develops those that already existed.
Depending on the level of awareness, experiments can also be divided into those
· in which the subject is given full information about the goals and objectives of the study;
· in which, for the purposes of the experiment, some information about it is hidden or distorted from the subject (for example, when it is necessary for the subject not to know about the true hypothesis of the study, he may be told a false one);
· in which the subject is unaware of the purpose of the experiment or even the fact of the experiment itself (for example, experiments involving children).
Not a single experiment in any science can withstand the criticism of supporters of the “absolute” accuracy of scientific conclusions. However, as a standard of perfection, Robert Gottsdanker introduced into experimental psychology the concept of “flawless experiment” - an unattainable ideal of an experiment that fully satisfies three criteria (ideality, infinity, complete compliance), which researchers should strive to approach.
6. INTERACTION BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTER AND THE SUBJECT.
The problem of organizing the interaction between the experimenter and the subject is considered one of the main ones, generated by the specifics of psychological science. Instructions are considered the most common means of direct communication between the experimenter and the subject.
Instructions to the subject in a psychological experiment are given in order to increase the likelihood that the subject adequately understood the experimenter's requirements, therefore it provides clear information regarding how the subject should behave and what he is asked to do. For all subjects within one experiment, the same (or equivalent) text with the same requirements is given. However, due to the individuality of each subject, in experiments the psychologist is faced with the task of ensuring an adequate understanding of the instructions by the person. Examples of differences between subjects that determine the advisability of an individual approach:
some subjects become nervous, while others remain cool, etc.
Requirements for most instructions:
The instructions should explain the purpose and significance of the study;
She must clearly state the content, course and details of the experiment;
It should be detailed and at the same time quite concise.
Another task that the researcher faces is sampling. The researcher first of all needs to determine its volume (number of subjects) and composition, while the sample must be representative, that is, the researcher must be able to extend the conclusions drawn from the results of the study of this sample to the entire general population, from which this sample was collected. For these purposes, there are various strategies for selecting samples and forming groups of subjects. Very often, for simple (one-factor) experiments, two groups are formed - control and experimental. In some situations, it can be quite difficult to select a group of subjects without introducing selection bias.
The general model of conducting a psychological experiment meets the requirements scientific method. When conducting a holistic experimental study, the following stages are distinguished:
1.Primary statement of the problem
Formulation of a psychological hypothesis
2.Working with scientific literature
Search for definitions of basic concepts
Compiling a bibliography on the research topic
3. Clarification of the hypothesis and definition of variables
Definition of experimental hypothesis
4.Selection of an experimental tool that allows:
Control the independent variable
Log dependent variable
5.Planning the experimental study
Highlighting Additional Variables
Selecting an Experimental Design
6. Formation of the sample and distribution of subjects into groups in accordance with the adopted plan
7. Conducting the experiment
Preparation of the experiment
Instructing and motivating subjects
Actually experimenting
8.Primary data processing
Compiling tables
Converting information form
Data checking
9.Statistical processing
Selection of statistical processing methods
Converting an experimental hypothesis into a statistical hypothesis
Carrying out statistical processing
10.Interpretation of results and conclusions
11. Recording of research in a scientific report, article, monograph, letter to the editor of a scientific journal
[edit] Advantages of experiment as a research method We can highlight the following main advantages that experiment has as a research method:
1. Ability to choose the start time of the event
2. Repeatability of the event being studied
3. Variability of results through conscious manipulation of independent variables.
Criticism of the experimental method
Proponents of the unacceptability of the experimental method in psychology rely on the following provisions:
Subject-subject relationship violates scientific rules
The psyche has the property of spontaneity
The psyche is too fickle
The psyche is too unique
Psyche is too complex an object of study
LITERATURE
1. Zarochentsev K. D., Khudyakov A. I. Experimental psychology: textbook - M.: Prospekt Publishing House, 2005. ISBN 5-98032-770-3
2. Research in psychology: methods and planning / J. Goodwin. - 3rd ed. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2004. ISBN 5-94723-290-1
4. Nikandrov V.V. Observation and experiment in psychology. SPb.: Rech, 2002 ISBN 5-9268-0141-9
5. Solso R. L., Johnson H. H., Beal M. K. Experimental psychology: a practical course. - SPb.: Prime-EUROZNAK, 2001.
6. Gottsdanker, Robert; "Fundamentals of psychological experiment"; Publishing house: M.: MSU, 1982;
7. D. Campbell. Models of experiments in social psychology and applied research. M., Progress 1980.
An experiment is a method of collecting facts in specially created conditions that ensure the active manifestation of the studied mental phenomena. The experiment involves the active intervention of the researcher in the activities of the subject in order to create conditions in which a psychological fact is revealed. It is designed to identify cause-and-effect relationships or determinants of development.
Specifics of the experimental method:
1. Active position of the researcher. The researcher can cause a mental phenomenon as many times as necessary to test the hypothesis.
2. Creation of a pre-thought-out artificially created situation in which the property being studied is best manifested and can be more accurately and easily determined.
3. In experimental studies, it is important that all subjects are equal in age, health, motives for participation, etc. Motives for participation vary only when their influence on a particular mental phenomenon is studied.
4. The reliability of the hypothesis being tested is achieved either by repeating experiments multiple times, or by using a sufficient number of subjects followed by mathematical processing.
5. The results of each experiment are recorded in a protocol, which records general information about the subjects, the nature of the experimental task, the time of the experiment, the quantitative and qualitative results of the experiment, the characteristics of the subjects: actions, speech, expressive movements, etc. are indicated.
6. When experimenting with children, it is very important to keep in mind that the child may perceive the task not as it was formulated, but in a different way.
Types of variables in experimental studies:
Independent variable – A factor that is changed by the experimenter.
Dependent variable - a factor that changes under the influence of another factor.
The researcher intentionally creates and changes the conditions in which human activity takes place, sets tasks and judges based on the results. psychological characteristics test subject. An experiment tests a hypothesis or assumption about the relationship between variables. The method involves controlling variables, identifying dependent and independent variables (to establish cause-and-effect relationships) and comparing the results of solving problems between experimental (in which the value of the variable varies) and control (variables remain unchanged) groups. The experiment involves two measurements - a pretest (before changing the variable) and a posttest (after the change).
Types of experiment:
1). Laboratory experiment – is carried out in deliberately created conditions (specially equipped room), using means of recording the obtained data, the actions of the subject are determined by the instructions.
- using equipment
- without using equipment
| Laboratory experiment | |
| 1. Features of activity and behavior are recorded: actions, actions, their components. 2.Reactions and their components: motor, speech, vegetative. 3. Electrical activity: brain, muscles, skin, heart. | Requirements 1. A positive, responsible attitude of the subject towards the experiment. 2. Equality of motives and conditions for participation in the experiment of all subjects. 3. Clear, unambiguous instructions before the experiment, understandable to the subject. 4.Strict accounting subjective factors: emotional state, fatigue, etc. 5. Sufficient number of subjects and number of experiments (series). |
| Advantages 1. Possibility of creating conditions that cause the necessary mental process. 2. Possibility of strictly taking into account the measurement of stimuli and responses. 3. Possibility of repeating experiments. 4.Possibility of mathematical processing. | Disadvantages 1. Possibility of distortion of the natural course of the mental process. 2. Although the presence of a laboratory is not necessary, the subject knows that he is being experimented on. |
2). Natural experiment - organized and carried out in regular living conditions, where the experimenter almost does not interfere with the course of events, recording them as they unfold on their own. Before starting his work, the researcher gets to know the children and takes an active part in their lives, so the classes conducted by the experimenter do not cause concern.
- psychological and pedagogical experiment (assesses the developmental effect of training programs and influences)
- other types depending on the field of psychology
Advantages of a natural experiment:
1.The activities of the subjects are studied in natural conditions.
2. The researcher himself actively causes mental processes in connection with the task:
Changes the conditions of activity;
Changes the phenomenon being studied;
Repeats the phenomenon being studied.
3.Accumulated facts can be processed mathematically. The reliability of objectively obtained results increases.
3). Ascertaining experiment – establishes the actual state and level of certain features mental development(level or quality) at the time of the experiment. An example of an ascertaining experiment is a test examination of the intelligence of children, carried out using various techniques.
4). Formative experiment – its idea is to artificially recreate (model) the process of mental development. The goal is to study the conditions and patterns of origin of one or another mental neoplasm. Active formation of the property being studied (according to the hypothesis) in the process of specially organized experimental training and education. The task is to form a new ability for the test subject. The researcher theoretically outlines and empirically selects appropriate ways and means to achieve the desired result, trying to achieve the “planned” indicators of the formation of the ability. A textbook example of the implementation of a formative experiment was the formation of the ability of attention in younger schoolchildren as an action of internal control (P.Ya. Galperin).
Requirements for the formative experiment:
1).Development theoretical ideas about the parameters of formed mental phenomena.
2).Clearness of experimental planning.
3).Completeness of taking into account various factors of real learning that influence the occurrence of the studied mental phenomena.
Specifics of the formative experiment:
The main object of study is the child’s formative activities.
The training is based on the consistent introduction of new tools that help to include the child in cognitive activity.
Construction curricula and their testing is carried out in the form of testing well-thought-out hypotheses.
The organization and implementation of such a formative experiment requires interdisciplinary cooperation (philosophers, sociologists, logicians, teachers, psychologists, physiologists).
- educational experiment– training in any knowledge, skills, abilities;
- educational experiment – carries out the formation of certain personality qualities.
In addition to the main methods of empirical research, a number of additional ones can be identified. Auxiliary research methods are usually used in combination. First of all, this is the clarification of knowledge, opinions, ideas, attitudes, etc. on a wide range of issues of people of different age categories using methods of conversation, survey, testing, etc.
Survey method.
A survey is a method used in which a person answers a series of questions asked to him.
When using the survey method, difficulties may arise due to the fact that the child does not always correctly understand the questions addressed to him. This is due to the fact that the system of concepts that controls this process may encounter the illusion of imaginary understanding, which consists in the fact that the child intelligently answers the questions posed to him, but in reality puts into them a slightly different meaning than the adult asking the questions.
There are topics that cause negative feelings in a child, which he prefers not to touch upon.
Reading time: 3 min
An experiment is one of the methods of understanding the surrounding reality available to the scientific worldview, justified by the principles of repeatability and evidence. This method is built individually depending on the chosen area, based on theories or hypotheses put forward, and occurs under specially controlled or controlled conditions that satisfy the research request. The experimental strategy involves purposefully structured observation of a selected phenomenon or object under conditions predetermined by a hypothesis. In the psychological field, an experiment involves joint interaction between the experimenter and the subject, aimed at completing pre-developed experimental tasks and studying possible changes and relationships.
The experiment belongs to the section of empirical methods and acts as a criterion for the truth of an established phenomenon, since an unconditional condition for the construction of experimental processes is their repeated reproducibility.
Experiments in psychology are used as the main way to change (in therapeutic practice) and study (in science) reality, and have traditional planning (with one unknown variable) and factorial (when there are several unknown variables). In the case when the phenomenon under study or its area seems insufficiently studied, a pilot experiment is used to help clarify the further direction of construction.
Differs from research method observation and non-intervention by active interaction with the object of study, intentional evocation of the phenomenon under study, the possibility of changing process conditions, quantitative ratios of parameters and includes statistical data processing. The possibility of controlled changes in the conditions or components of an experiment allows the researcher to study a phenomenon more deeply or notice previously unidentified patterns. The main difficulty in applying and assessing the reliability of the experimental method in psychology lies in the frequent involvement of the experimenter in interaction or communication with subjects and indirectly, under the influence of subconscious thoughts, can influence the results and behavior of the subject.
Experiment as a research method
When studying phenomena, it is possible to use several types of methods: active (experiments) and passive (observation, archival and biographical research).
The experimental method implies the active influence or induction of the process under study, the presence of the main and control (as similar as possible to the main, but not influenced) experimental groups. According to their semantic purpose, they distinguish between a research experiment (when the presence of a relationship between the selected parameters is unknown) and a confirmatory experiment (when the relationship between the variables is established, but it is necessary to identify the nature of this relationship). For building practical research it is necessary to initially formulate definitions and the problem being studied, formulate hypotheses, and then test them. The resulting results are processed and interpreted using mathematical statistics methods that take into account the characteristics of the variables and samples of subjects.
Distinctive features experimental study are: artificial independent organization of conditions for the activation or appearance of a certain psychological fact being studied, the ability to change conditions and eliminate some of the influencing factors.
The entire construction of experimental conditions comes down to determining the interaction of variables: dependent, independent and secondary. An independent variable is understood as a condition or phenomenon that can be varied or changed by the experimenter (selected time of day, proposed task) in order to trace its further influence on the dependent variable (words or actions of the subject in response to the stimulus), i.e. parameters of another phenomenon. When defining variables, it is important to identify and specify them so that they can be recorded and analyzed.
In addition to the qualities of specificity and recordability, there must be consistency and reliability, i.e. the tendency to maintain the stability of the indicators of its registration and the preservation of the obtained indicators only under conditions that repeat the experimental ones regarding the chosen hypothesis. Secondary variables are all factors that indirectly affect the results or course of the experiment, be it lighting or the level of alertness of the subject.
The experimental method has a number of advantages, including the repeatability of the phenomenon being studied, the ability to influence the results by changing variables, and the ability to choose the beginning of the experiment. This is the only method that gives the most reliable results. Among the reasons for criticism this method there is impermanence, spontaneity and uniqueness of the psyche, as well as subject-subject relationships, which by their presence do not coincide with scientific rules. Another negative characteristic of the method is that the conditions only partially reproduce reality, and accordingly, confirmation and 100% reproduction of the results obtained in laboratory conditions in real conditions is not possible.
Types of experiments
There is no unambiguous classification of experiments, since the concept consists of many characteristics, based on the choice of which further differentiation is made.
At the stages of hypothesis formulation, when methods and samples have not yet been determined, it is worth conducting a thought experiment, where, taking into account theoretical premises, scientists conduct an imaginary study seeking to detect contradictions within the theory used, the incomparability of concepts and postulates. In a thought experiment, it is not the phenomena themselves that are studied from the practical side, but the available theoretical information about them. The construction of a real experiment involves systematic manipulation of variables, their correction and choice in reality.
A laboratory experiment involves the artificial recreation of special conditions that organize the necessary environment, in the presence of equipment and instructions that determine the actions of the subject; the subjects themselves are aware of their participation in the method, but the hypothesis can be hidden from them in order to obtain independent results. With this formulation, maximum control of variables is possible, but the data obtained are difficult to compare with real life.
A natural (field) or quasi-experiment occurs when the research is conducted directly in a group where complete adjustment of the necessary indicators is not possible, under conditions natural for the selected social community. It is used to study the mutual influence of variables in real life conditions; it occurs in several stages: analysis of the behavior or feedback of the subject, recording the observations obtained, analyzing the results, compiling the resulting characteristics of the subject.
In psychological research activities, the use of ascertaining and formative experiments in one study is observed. The ascertainer determines the presence of a phenomenon or function, while the formulator analyzes changes in these indicators after the training stage or other influence on the factors selected by the hypothesis.
When several hypotheses are formulated, a critical experiment is used to confirm the truth of one of the put forward versions, while the rest are considered refuted (implementation requires high degree development of a theoretical basis, as well as rather complex planning of the production itself).
Conducting an experiment is important when testing test hypotheses and choosing a further course of research. This testing method is called piloting, it is carried out by connecting a smaller sample than in a full experiment, with less attention to the analysis of the details of the results, and seeks to identify only general trends and patterns.
Experiments are also distinguished by the amount of information available to the subject about the research conditions themselves. There are experiments where the subject has complete information about the progress of the study, those where some information is hidden, and those where the subject does not know about the experiment being conducted.
Based on the results obtained, a distinction is made between group (data obtained are characteristic and relevant for describing phenomena inherent in a particular group) and individual (data describing a specific person) experiments.
Psychological experiments
An experiment in psychology has distinctive feature from the peculiarities of its implementation in other sciences, since the object of research has its own subjectivity, which can bring a certain percentage of influence both on the course of the study and on the results of the study. The main task set before a psychological experiment is to bring to the visible surface the processes hidden within the psyche. Reliable transmission of such information requires full control of the maximum number of variables.
The concept of experiment in psychology, in addition to the research sphere, is used in psychotherapeutic practice, when problems that are relevant to the individual are artificially posed in order to deepen experiences or study the internal state.
First steps on the way experimental activities consist in establishing certain relationships with subjects, determining the characteristics of the sample. Next, subjects receive instructions for execution, containing a description of the chronological order of the actions performed, presented in as much detail and in a concise form as possible.
Stages of conducting a psychological experiment:
Statement of the problem and deriving a hypothesis;
Analysis of literary and theoretical data on the selected topic;
Choosing an experimental tool that allows you to both control the dependent variable and record changes in the independent one;
Formation of a relevant sample and groups of subjects;
Conducting experimental experiments or diagnostics;
Collection and statistical processing of data;
Research results, drawing conclusions.
Conducting psychological experiments attracts the attention of society much more often than experimentation in other areas, since it affects not only scientific concepts, but also the ethical side of the issue, because when setting conditions and observations, the experimenter directly intervenes and influences the life of the subject. There are several world-famous experiments concerning the characteristics of human behavioral determinants, some of which are recognized as inhumane.
The Hawthorne experiment arose from a decrease in the productivity of workers at one enterprise, after which diagnostic methods were undertaken to identify the causes. The results of the study showed that productivity depends on the social position and role of a person, and those workers who were included in the test group began to work better only from the awareness of the fact of participation in the experiment and the fact that the attention of the employer and researchers was directed to them.
Milgram's experiment was aimed at establishing the amount of pain that a person can inflict on others, completely innocent, if it is their duty to do so. Several people took part - the subject himself, the boss, who gave him the order in case of a mistake to direct a discharge of electric current to the offender, and directly the person to whom the punishment was intended (this role was played by the actor). This experiment revealed that people are capable of inflicting significant physical harm on other innocent people out of a sense of the need to obey or disobey authority figures, even when confronted with their inner beliefs.
Ringelman's experiment tested how productivity levels varied depending on the number of people involved in a task. It turned out that what more people participates in the performance of work, the lower the productivity of each individual and the group as a whole. This gives grounds to assert that with conscious individual responsibility there is a desire to give maximum effort, whereas with group work it can be transferred to someone else.
The “monstrous” experiment, which its authors successfully hid for some time for fear of punishment, was aimed at studying the power of suggestion. During it, two groups of children from a boarding school were told about their skills: the first group was praised, and the second was constantly criticized, pointing out shortcomings in their speech. Subsequently, children from the second group, who had not previously encountered speech difficulties, began to develop speech defects, some of which persisted until the end of their lives.
There are many other experiments where moral issues were not taken into account by the authors, and despite the supposed scientific value and discoveries, they are not admired.
An experiment in psychology is intended to study mental characteristics to improve one’s life, optimize work and combat fears, and therefore the primary requirement for the development of research methods is their ethics, because the results of experimental experiments can cause irreversible changes that alter a person’s subsequent life.
Speaker of the Medical and Psychological Center "PsychoMed"
