Experiments in psychology: types, structure, advantages and disadvantages

For centuries, great researchers have been striving to create a complete scientific picture of man and the characteristics of his personality. Similar work is carried out by psychologists. From the moment of its inception to the present day, this science has been able to accumulate a lot of material. An impressive amount of reliable data has been accumulated through the use of a variety of methods and methods. But the most popular experiments are those conducted in psychology. Examples of many of them confirm the high reliability of the data obtained by the researchers.

A little about psychology

At the present stage, this science is a vast field of knowledge, which includes a number of scientific areas and individual disciplines. For example, there is animal psychology. The subject of its study is those features that the psyche of animals has. A broader area is human research. There are such branches of psychology as:

— a children's room, the subject of research of which is the development of mental processes and consciousness of the personality of a growing person;

- social, studying human behavior in society, as well as the influence of the press, radio, fashion, rumors, etc. on him;

— pedagogical, reflecting the picture of the patterns of personality development during the process of education and training.

There are a number of branches in psychology. Each of them examines the problems of one or another human activity. The list of such industries includes the following psychology:

- labor;

— engineering;

— aerospace;

- medical;

— legal;

- military.

At the same time, the tasks of psychology, regardless of direction, are to:

- study the essence of the phenomena considered in this area and understand their patterns;

- learn how to manage them;

- serve as a theoretical basis for relevant services in practice.

In solving its problems, psychology reveals the essence of the process aimed at reflecting the objective world in the human brain. At the same time, researchers find out how a person’s actions are regulated and his mental activity develops, as well as the formation of personality traits.

All data obtained is based on the understanding that human activity is determined not only by objective conditions. Undoubtedly, this process is directly influenced by subjective factors. Among them are personal attitudes and relationships, one’s own experience, which is expressed in abilities, skills and knowledge, etc. In this regard, the task of psychology expands somewhat and covers a range of issues that make it possible to clarify the characteristics of human activity depending on the existing subjective and objective aspects .

Notable Research

Many psychological experiments have been conducted throughout history. They differed from each other in their impact and ultimate goals. Among all this diversity, several famous experiments can be distinguished:

1. Milgram's experiment. It was described in 1963. His main goal was to determine how much suffering one person can cause to another if it is part of his job duties or his boss orders him to do so. Scientists wanted to find out how people participated in the murder of fellow soldiers. After analyzing the results, Milgram proved that not all people can resist the will of their leadership.
2. Hawthorne experiment. This term refers to a set of experiments that were carried out in 1924-1932. They were carried out at a factory in America, Western Electrics. Research began due to the fact that the pace of work in production had slowed down. The factory owners wanted to increase the work pace, which is why they gave the researchers complete freedom of action. During the experiment, scientists noted that workers began to work faster due to increased attention to them. The researchers concluded that the pace of work depends on the social factors surrounding it.
3. Stanford prison experiment. The experiment was conducted by American scientist Philip Zimbardo in 1971. Its essence was to find out the reaction of people to the conditions of prison and the social roles imposed on them. Participants were divided into prisoners and guards. After 6 days, the experiment began to get out of control, because some guards began to show sadistic tendencies, and the prisoners began to experience serious psychological trauma.
4. Me and others. It is a Soviet film in which several psychological experiments were demonstrated. The main essence of these experiments was to show how others influence the individual. After watching the film, we can say that a person is highly dependent on the opinions of others. Because of this, people often change their own opinions when they see that others do not agree with them.
5. Ringelmann's experiment. It was first described in 1913, but carried out only in 1927. To conduct the experiment, scientists recruited a group of people. Study participants were required to perform one job. The first work process involved lifting heavy objects, the other involved tug-of-war. Scientists have proven that the more people working in one group, the less efficient the work process will be.
6. A monstrous experiment. It was held in the USA in 1939. The purpose of the experiment was to find out how suggestible children are. To do this, the researchers selected 22 children from an orphanage and divided them into two groups. Some were constantly praised. Others were called stutterers and their shortcomings were pointed out. As a result, children who were taught only bad things began to speak worse and developed symptoms of stuttering that lasted for the rest of their lives. This experiment was hidden from the public for a long time.
7. Little Albert. A famous experiment that is considered inhumane. The scientist wanted to prove that fear can be developed or suppressed in childhood. To do this, the child was shown a picture of a rat and a sharp loud sound was made. The baby began to cry. Subsequently, the child began to cry even without a sharp sound, only from seeing the image of a rat.
8. Project Aversia. An experiment conducted in the ranks of the South African army. Its goal was to identify and destroy homosexuals in the army. More than 1,000 people participated in the study. They were subjected to such means as shockers, drugs, castrations, and poisoning with chemicals. Many of the participants committed suicide, while others were never able to recover from the consequences. The experiment itself failed because it was not based on any scientific evidence.
9. Landis' experiments. This is a whole series of experiments that were carried out in 1924. His goal was to determine how the facial muscles that express emotion work. The experiment involved students taught by Landis. The muscles were marked with lines to see how they changed their position relative to each other. After this, students were shown or told something that could cause strong emotions. As a result, no patterns were identified.
10. A boy who was raised as a girl. An experience considered the most inhumane throughout history. It was carried out over several decades - from 1965 to 2004. At the beginning of the experiment, scientists took control of a boy, Bruce Reimer, who was born in 1965. During the circumcision operation, his penis was damaged, which is why his parents were advised to raise him as a girl. The parents approved of the plan and agreed to gender reassignment surgery and further education. Psychologist John Money wanted to prove to the world that gender is a result of upbringing, and not a creation of nature, but teachers and parents began to notice that the technique did not produce results. The child exhibited all the behavioral characteristics of a boy. A few years later, the former Bruce decided to fully become a man and underwent gender reassignment surgery. Having matured, he found a wife and adopted a child. When the man turned 38 years old, he committed suicide due to severe psychological trauma received in childhood.
11. Learned helplessness. This is a mental state in which a person does absolutely nothing to improve his own situation, even if there are all the prerequisites and opportunities for this. This happens if a person has made several unsuccessful attempts to change negative environmental factors. The phenomenon was discovered in 1966 by Steve Miner and Martin Seligman.

These experiments stand out the most. Any experiments conducted with people are limited by many rules to protect a person from any negative consequences.

Psychological experiments are carried out to obtain information about changes in the psyche of experimental subjects. Experience helps to understand how a person will react to external stimuli; researchers can create certain conditions and situations.

Experimental psychology

The discipline under consideration has one very significant direction. It is called experimental psychology and aims to study human behavior.

The first experiment in this area was carried out back in the 18th century. However, the experimental scientific direction developed only in the second half of the 19th century. This happened thanks to the works of W. Wund, E. Weber, V.M. Bekhterev and others.

It is generally accepted that it was after the introduction of experiment that psychology emerged as a separate science. After all, obtaining data experimentally opened up the prospect of substantiating the processes under consideration with mathematical accuracy. The reliability of existing facts began to be identified on the basis of indicators of their objectivity, verifiability and repeatability. Over time, the need to separate experimental psychology into a separate direction disappeared by itself. After all, the researchers’ method began to be used in all areas of this discipline.

Experiment concept

What does it represent in psychology? This is a kind of experiment conducted under special conditions. The goal that the researcher sets for himself is to obtain psychological data through the intervention of a specialist in the processes of the subject’s activity. Not only scientists can conduct such experiments. Psychological experiments are sometimes carried out by ordinary people. At the same time, the researcher always acts in an orderly manner. It changes a certain factor of a particular process, maintaining the rest without any changes. During these actions, the person conducting such an experiment observes the results of systematic deviations in indicators and records them.

The concept of experiment can have a broader meaning. In this case, observation, testing, surveys and other research methods are included in the experiment itself.

The need for

Experiments in the field of psychology make it possible to decompose a particular phenomenon into its individual components, in order to then study each of them. Also, in the course of practical research, it is possible to record the results obtained with a certain accuracy and monitor the process of development of the subject of study. In this case, the experimenter most often does not wait for the occurrence of the mental phenomenon he is considering. He actively recreates it in the most favorable conditions for this, varies it, intervenes in the process in a planned manner, repeatedly repeating the features of the experiment.

Often, mental phenomena are studied in natural conditions using direct observation techniques. But the use of an experiment makes it possible to artificially separate the phenomenon being studied from others and purposefully vary the conditions of influence on the subjects. In the course of such work, the results obtained are traced, which is the basis for certain conclusions.

Survey

Survey
A method of obtaining answers to specific questions that are formulated by the researcher.

It includes: questionnaire, conversation, interview.

Questioning is a method of psychological research using questionnaires. Using questionnaires, biographical data, values, attitudes, and personality traits are studied. A questionnaire is a list of questions that provides for the study of a certain psychological characteristic. Questionnaires can be open or closed.

Conversation is a method of obtaining facts by communicating with the respondent. Unlike a questionnaire, the researcher has the opportunity to ask additional questions.

An interview , like a conversation, is a method of obtaining facts through verbal communication. The main difference is that the researcher only asks questions. He does not interfere with the answer, its content and form.

Classification

There are different types of experiments in psychology. Moreover, they are distinguished based on the conditions of implementation, goals, nature of influence and many other factors.

Experimental methods in psychology themselves are divided into laboratory and natural, as well as formative research. In addition to this classification, there is a division into aerobatic (primary) experience and subsequent ones. Also, experiments can be explicit and have a hidden purpose, etc. Let's look at the most frequently used of them in more detail.

Laboratory experiment

Such studies are classified according to the conditions under which they were conducted. Moreover, laboratory is one of the most commonly used experimental methods in psychology. What does it consist of?

A laboratory experiment is a type of research that is carried out under artificially created conditions. What are they? An example of this is obtaining data directly in a scientific laboratory, where the interaction of the subject (person or group of persons) under study occurs only with factors of interest to the experimenter.

What are the advantages of doing this kind of work? With the help of a laboratory experiment, during which the researcher uses recording instruments, it is possible to obtain indications about the time of occurrence of various mental processes, for example, the speed of formation of work and educational skills, the speed of a person’s reaction, etc.

Based on this description, we can talk about the main features of experiments conducted in laboratory conditions. Such experiments are attractive because of the following:

— high accuracy of the results obtained;

— the possibility of conducting repeated experiments with the creation of similar conditions;

— the possibility of exercising maximum control by the experimenter over the entire situation.

All this is the advantage of such works.

However, in this case, the subjects are aware that they are taking part in scientific work; research subjects are in conditions that do not correspond to reality.

This is the disadvantage of this type of experiment. An artificially created environment sometimes disrupts the normal course of the processes being studied.

General information

Robert Woodworth, who published his classic textbook on experimental psychology (Experimental psychology), 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 control of the experimental factor

, or in Woodworth's terminology, the "independent variable", and tracking its effect on
the observed consequence
, or "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 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.

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, 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).

The main objective of the experimental study

The general goal of psychological experiments is to establish the existence of a connection R

=f(
S, P
) and, if possible, the type of function f (there are various types of relationships - cause-and-effect, functional, correlation, etc.).
In this case, R
is the subject’s reaction,
S
is the situation, and
P
is the subject’s personality, 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.

Stages of the experiment

In each experiment, the following stages can be distinguished. The first stage is setting the problem and goal, as well as constructing an experimental plan. The experimental plan should be built taking into account accumulated knowledge and reflect the relevance of the problem.

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.

Natural experiment

In order to eliminate the lack of laboratory research, in practice, phenomena are often analyzed in their usual situation. To do this, a natural experiment is carried out.

In psychology, during such work, the subject is in his usual living conditions. The specialist intervenes in this process only slightly.

What are the advantages of a natural experiment? They are that:

— the conditions in which the subjects are located correspond to reality;

— research subjects most often do not suspect that they are participating in scientific developments;

— the results obtained are relatively accurate.

Among the disadvantages of a natural experiment are:

— the impossibility of repeating it under similar conditions;

- lack of full control of the specialist over the situation.

This is the main advantages and disadvantages of experiments in psychology conducted in natural conditions. On the one hand, in this case there are undeniable advantages. After all, for example, a student mastering a particular subject is able to remember the material given to him in natural conditions in a completely different way than he would do it in the presence of a researcher. But in such a situation it becomes simply impossible to take into account the inevitable occurrence of some factors influencing the process.

What types of experimental method is divided into?

In practice, physical, computer, mental and critical experiments are most often used. The most common physical experiment is to understand nature. Thanks to such experiments, in particular, erroneous hypotheses of physics that were studied as part of theoretical research are revealed. Computer experiments are connected to the computer process. During testing, specialists process initial data about a specific object, resulting in information about the identified properties and characteristics. The thought experiment method can affect various fields of study, including physics and philosophy. Its fundamental difference is the reproduction of the conditions of reality not in practice, but in the imagination. In turn, critical experiments are not aimed at studying specific objects or phenomena, but at confirming or refuting a certain hypothesis or theory.

Classification of experiments based on their purpose

Depending on the task, the following types of experiments in psychology are distinguished:

1. Search. Such an experiment is carried out to determine the presence of cause-and-effect relationships between the phenomena under consideration. Moreover, this technique is used only at the initial stages of the study. The data obtained should allow us to formulate a hypothesis, as well as identify independent, dependent and secondary variables, determining ways to control them.
2. Aerobatic. Such experiments are tentative. During their implementation, the main hypothesis, approaches to research, etc. are clarified. The requirements for an experiment in pilot type psychology are to conduct it before labor-intensive and voluminous work in order to select a specific direction, which would allow rational use of funds. Obtaining data from this type of experiment is carried out by involving a smaller number of subjects, using abbreviated plans and without much control over external factors. Of course, the reliability of the results of such an experiment is low, but they still make it possible to avoid gross mistakes associated with putting forward the main hypothesis, constructing work plans, etc. Sometimes pilotage specifies the main assumption, narrowing the search area, and also finally indicates a technique suitable for large-scale research.
3. Confirmer. This experiment is carried out to establish a type of functional connection, as well as to clarify the quantitative relationship between the data obtained. This type of work is performed at the final stage of the study.

Introduction

Experimenter (from the Latin experimentalum - experiment, experience) - a method of studying a phenomenon under controlled conditions. It differs from observation in that it involves active interaction with the object being studied. As a rule, an experiment is carried out as part of a scientific research and serves to test hypotheses and establish cause-and-effect relationships between phenomena.

The relevance of this topic is due to the fact that people are constantly experimenting, this helps in research and the possibility of something new.

I liked the textbook “Experimental and Research Activities of Various Aspects,” authored by Novikov. A.M. He presented the types of experiments and their classification. When preparing my work, I also used the works of such authors as Demidova, A.V., Zagvyazinsky, V.I., Kozhukhar, V.M., Stepin V.S.

Purpose: to study experiment as a research method, define the term “experiment”, characterize the types of experiments, consider the advantages and disadvantages in the process of conducting experiments.

Topic: experiment as a research method.

Classification of experiments based on the nature of their influence

Taking into account this criterion, there are the following types of experiments in psychology:

1. Stater. During such an experiment, the specialist does not change any properties of the participant, does not seek to form new qualities in him or develop those that he has. Teacher-researchers very often use ascertaining experiments in developmental psychology. It allows you to establish the state of the existing problem and record the fact that there is a connection between the existing phenomena. The purpose of an ascertaining experiment may be, for example, to identify the degree of influence of the family on the process of developing the personality of a child attending primary school.
2. Formative. This is one of the research methods that is widely used by specialists and teachers. A formative experiment involves a person obtaining certain qualities that are specified by a specialist. The necessary conditions are specially created for this. The results obtained do not raise any doubts, since it is obvious that they were formed during the implementation of the work. A formative experiment is used for an in-depth study of the process of personality formation, as well as all stages of its occurrence. In addition, this method is most effective when testing new methods of education and innovative technologies. A formative experiment is not always carried out according to a pre-planned plan. First of all, the research problem is determined, and only after that I formulate a hypothesis, create a work program and conduct tests. The entire process is closely monitored, and its results are recorded for further understanding, which will allow the formulation of conclusions. Typically, either two people or two groups of people are involved in a formative experience. Moreover, one of them is considered experimental, and the other – control. Participants in psychological experience are given tasks that contribute to the formation of a certain quality. The control group is not given such a task. After completing the formative experiment, researchers conduct a comparative analysis of the results obtained and evaluate them.
3. Control. This type of work carried out by specialists is a repeated measurement of certain indicators of the state of an object (a person or a group of people) to compare them with those that were recorded before the start of the experiment. The data obtained is also compared with those obtained by a group of people who did not receive tasks.

Classification by level of awareness

What other types of experiments in psychology exist? Similar studies are divided according to the level of awareness of what is happening by a person.

In this case, the following are distinguished:

1. An obvious experiment. When conducting it, the subject has comprehensive information about the goals and objectives of the research being conducted.
2. Intermediate. This option involves familiarizing the subject with only part of the information about the experience. Other information is either distorted or concealed.
3. Hidden. The participant, as a rule, knows nothing about this experiment. He does not know not only about the goals that psychologists face, but also about the very fact of carrying out the work.

Classification by possible influence

According to this characteristic, there is also a certain gradation of psychological experiences. In this case, the following are distinguished:

— provoked research;

- an experiment that is referred to afterwards.

Provoked research is classic. When conducting this experiment, a specialist independently changes the experimental conditions. That is why those types of reactions that are observed in the test subject are considered provoked.

The experiments referred to are experiments in which there is no intervention by the researcher. This method is used in cases where the impact on the subject can cause serious psychological or physiological disturbance.

Research stages

Psychological experiments are carried out in a certain sequence. A complete experiment consists of several stages:

1. Statement of the main problem.
2. Working with scientific literature.
3. Clarification of the hypothesis, identification of the main variables.
4. Selection of relevant psychological tools to influence the psyche.
5. Planning the actions to be carried out.
6. Depending on which plan is assigned, subjects are distributed into separate groups.
7. Conducting the experiment.
8. Initial processing of the received data.
9. In-depth processing, preparation of statistics.
10. Preparation of conclusions.

After conducting an experiment, researchers compile reports and write scientific documents.

Experiment structure

What is included in the list of main criteria that make up the studies discussed in the article? The structure of a psychological experiment includes:

1. Researched (tested) object or group.
2. Researcher (experimenter).
3. Stimulation, which is a method chosen by a specialist to influence the subject.
4. The response of the experiment participant to stimulation, that is, his psychological reaction.

The conditions of the study, which represent additional influences, can influence the reaction of the subject.