Field Experiment - GCSE Psychology Definition

A field experiment is a study conducted in a real-world setting, outside of a laboratory, to understand how different variables affect behaviour.

In psychology, researchers use field experiments to see how people behave naturally in their everyday environment rather than in artificial conditions. Unlike lab experiments, the people being studied in a field experiment may not know they are part of a study, allowing their behaviour to be more genuine.

For example, a psychologist might conduct a field experiment in a school to observe how changes in classroom rules affect student behaviour. This type of experiment helps researchers gather data that is more reflective of real-life situations.