There are two further types of experiment – a natural experiment and a quasi-experiment.

Both of these
are not ‘true’ experiments because in the independent variable (IV) is not deliberately manipulated.
This means that it is not possible to claim that changes in the dependent variable (DV) are caused by
the independent variable.

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NATURAL AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTS
Natural experiment
A natural experiment is conducted when it is not possible, for ethical or practical reasons, to
deliberately manipulate an IV. Therefore, it is said that the IV varies ‘naturally’. The DV may be
tested in a laboratory.
• Effects of institutionalisation – The studies of Romanian orphans showed the effect their
early experiences had on their subsequent emotional and intellectual development. The IV
in such a study may be adoption either before or after the age of six months. It would not
be ethical to deliberately control this IV – deciding that some babies might be adopted
early but others would have to wait in order for researchers to study the effects. In these
studies, the DV might be behaviour in the Strange Situation or performance on an IQ test.
Both of these would probably be tested in a lab.
• Effects of TV – Before 1995, people living on the small island of St. Helena in the middle
of the Atlantic had no TV. The arrival of TV gave researchers a chance to see how
experienced to Western programmes might influence behaviour – overall, Charlton et al.
(2000) found no difference in either pro- or anti-social behaviour after the introduction of
Western TV. In this study the IV was no TV and later exposure to TV.
This IV was not controlled by the researchers – they took advantage of something which would be
practically quite difficult to control. The DV was measures pro- and anti-social behaviour used
questionnaires, observations and psychological tests.

Quasi-experiment
In a quasi-experiment the IV is also naturally occurring and the DV may be measured in a lab. The
key feature is that the IV has not been made to vary by anyone. It is simply a difference between
people that exist.
• Gender differences – Sheridan and King (1972) tested obedience by asking male
participants to give genuine electric shocks of increasing strength to a puppy. They found
that 54% of male participants delivered the maximum (non-fatal) shock, but the obedience
rate for females was a staggering 1000%! The IV in this study was gender – a difference that
cannot be manipulated and thus not ‘true’ IV.
• Locus of control – There are consequences of having an internal or external locus of
control. The IV is internal or external locus of control. This is a personal attribute of the
individuals, not something that was caused to vary by the situation. In one study (Hutchins
and Estey, 1978) the DV was performance in a simulated prisoner-of-war camp situation.

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P – The IV is not directly manipulated in natural or quasi-experiments.
E – So we cannot be sure that any change in the IV is caused by the DV.
E – There may have been uncontrolled confounding variables.
L – So conclusions about cause and effect must be tentative.
P – Participants are not randomly allocated to the conditions.
E – This means there may be biases in the different groups of participants.
E – There may be other variables that vary systematically with the IV but are not controlled.
L – They would become confounding variables, giving a different cause for the change in the DV.
P – The sample may be unique in that participants have particular characteristics.
E – This would give the study low population validity.
E – For example, Charlton et al. carried out a longitudinal natural experiment on the island of St
Helena. They measured the effect of introducing TV on children’s behaviour. However, the
people in St Helena were a particular pro-social community which may explain why TV didn’t
affect their behaviour.
L – This means the findings can’t be generalised to other groups.
P – Natural experiments allow psychologists to research ‘real’ problems.
E – For example, the effects of a disaster on health.
E – Where the IV already exists.
L – This gives high levels of mundane realism and ecological validity.
P – Studies comparing older and younger people are quasi-experiments.
E – Age is a ‘condition’ of the individual and cannot be artificially manipulated.
E – However, other variables may also covalent with age, such as cognitive decline or dementia.
L – This means that the conclusion cannot simply relate age to the difference in the DV.

Key terms
Natural experiment – A research method in which the experimenter has not manipulated the
independent variable (IV) directly. The IV would vary whether or not the researcher was interested.
The researcher records the effect of the IV on a dependent variable (DV) – this DV may be
measured in a lab. Strictly speaking, an experiment involved the deliberate manipulation of an IV
and random allocation to conditions by the experiment – neither of which apply to a natural
experiment and therefore casual conclusions can only tentatively be drawn.
Quasi-experiments – Studies that are ‘almost’ experiments. The independent variable is actually not
something that varies at all – it is a condition that exists. The researcher records the effect of this
‘quasi-IV’ on a dependent variable (DV). As with a natural experiment, the lack of manipulation of
the IV and the lack of random allocation means that the causal conclusions can only tentatively be
drawn.