Researchers wanted to investigate whether a professional corporate environment compared to a casual public park would influence helping behaviour.
A sample of 100 participants (50 males and 50 females) was observed. Half of the participants (25 males and 25 females) were seen exiting a prestigious corporate law firm in central London. The other half (25 males and 25 females) were passers-by in a nearby public park.
A male confederate dressed in smart business attire carried a large folder of loose documents. When a participant was approximately three metres away, the confederate 'accidentally' dropped a handful of documents and struggled to gather them up.
The participants, estimated to be between 18 and 65 years old, were recorded as having helped if they stopped and assisted in picking up the documents. The confederate recorded whether help was offered, the participant’s gender, estimated age, and the location (exiting the law firm or in the park).
Explain one weakness of using a field experiment for this helping behaviour study.
88 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Psychology Research methods and skills, covering Research methods and skills. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.