Field Experiments

Elements of Field Experiments

Field experiments emphasize elements that distinguish them from other types of research. Foremost is the emphasis on the natural environment. The analysis is conducted in a field setting in order to produce results that are directly applicable to a problem. Examples of the natural environment include but are not limited to studying how a portion of the population experiences a problem, responds to an event, or has certain attitudes and behaviors in response to an experimental stimulus. The next important element of a field experiment is the experimental stimulus. Differing from field research that relies on observation or qualitative inquiry, the study manipulates the independent variable, controlling it in some way. This control or manipulation allows researchers to examine how one factor (the independent variables) affects another (the dependent variable).

The goal of a researcher in field experiments is to have the study design affect the results of the experiment as little as possible so it can be established how the independent variable influences the dependent variable in the natural environment. The design of field experiments commonly uses random assignment or a pre–post test design. In studies using random assignment, groups of participants are randomly divided so that some receive an experimental stimulus while others (known as the control group) do not. In a pre–post test design, the researcher compares changes in a group of participants before and after they received the results of an experimental stimulus. Both types of design allow researchers to assess how the experimental stimulus affected participants in their natural environment, which is the next important element of field experiments. The purpose of field experiments being conducted in the natural environment is to produce findings that are more realistic or applicable to the general population. Field experiments strive to produce results that are generalizable or can be applied beyond the sample population to represent a portion of the actual population. Overall, the findings of experiments are thought to be more generalizable than survey research because evidence of causality is tested through the experimental design. However, the way an experiment is conducted in a laboratory could affect how one factor causes a change in another. This leads to results that classify another important element of field experiments. The results of field experiments provide a more detailed view of influencing variables, or other factors in the participants’ environments that contribute to the study findings.

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