Natural Experiments in Psychology

The video discusses a study by Duke University on the impact of poverty alleviation on Cherokee children's mental health. It explains natural experiments, highlighting their strengths and limitations. The study used a natural experiment when a casino opened, distributing profits to families, allowing researchers to observe changes in children's behavior. Natural experiments offer high ecological validity and large sample sizes but face challenges in establishing causality and replicability.

What was the unique opportunity presented to researchers by the opening of the casino on the Cherokee reservation?

• To investigate the gambling habits of the Cherokee people

• To analyze the economic growth of the Cherokee reservation

• To observe the cultural impact of casinos on the Cherokee community

• To study the effects of increased income on children's mental health

How do natural experiments differ from naturalistic observations?

• Natural experiments involve manipulation of variables

• Natural experiments test the effect of one variable on another

• Natural experiments are conducted in controlled environments

• Natural experiments require participant recruitment

Which of the following is a characteristic of a natural experiment?

• The independent variable is manipulated by the researcher

• The study is conducted in a laboratory setting

• The independent variable occurs naturally

• Participants are always aware of the study's purpose

What type of natural experiment involves observing changes over time?

• Correlational

• Experimental

• Longitudinal

• Cross-sectional

Why are natural experiments considered to have high ecological validity?

• They are conducted in artificial settings

• They involve manipulation of variables

• They occur in real-world settings without researcher interference

• They require participant consent

What is a major limitation of natural experiments?

• They require extensive participant recruitment

• They make it difficult to establish cause and effect

• They have low ecological validity

• They are easy to replicate

Why might some psychologists argue that natural experiments are not true experiments?

• They are not conducted in a laboratory

• They always involve ethical issues

• They lack a control group

• They do not involve manipulation of the independent variable