Describe and Evaluate the Use of Laboratory Experiments in Criminal Psychology

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Describe and Evaluate the use of Laboratory Experiments in Criminal Psychology (12 marks) Laboratory experiments are used in Criminal Psychology to isolate and observe the effect of one variable on others, thus establishing a cause and effect relationship. For example, if the presence of a weapon in a crime causes an eyewitness to focus on that rather than other factors of the crime. This may effect eyewitness reliability. The dependent variable can be strictly measured, providing quantitative data. For example, in Loftus experiments on eye witness testimony the participants were asked to say if there was broken glass present or not. This can be objectively and accurately measured and analysed The artificial and controlled environment used can be useful in ensuring other variables are not causing the effect. For example, in experiments into Jury prejudice, factors such as the nature of the crime, gender, race, and attractiveness can be kept the same or manipulated to see which is most likely to create a bias in favour or against a defendant, thus again establishing a cause and effect relationship. This environment allows standardised procedure and instructions to be applied, meaning that each participant is having the same experience, allowing accurate comparison of individual responses. For, example, when looking at the reliability of eye witness testimony, video or slides can be used to ensure each participant witnesses the same event exactly. Standardised equipment and instructions also ensures the experiment can be replicated by other researchers. In evaluation of Laboratory experiments, the artificial nature means that ecological validity may be low, as a participant’s emotional state is not the same in an artificial crime as a real one, and therefore they will behave differently, or recall the event differently. Wagstaff et al (2003) found that

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