Is Bartlett's war of the Ghosts study an experiment or a quasi study?

[Tony Petrovik]

I shall explain.

I am literally in the middle of writing a paper 1 practice essay (on CLOA research methods if u were wondering)

In my notes it says it's an experiment, on the internet it says it's an experiment.

But my teacher tells me a lot of times that i get confused between saying 'study' and 'experiment'.

A study is looking at a change with the change of a variable (not exhaustive, nor completely accurate description, i know)

An experiment is strictly controlled with a change to the independent variable and observing any change to the dependent variable.

But logically, Bartlett doesn't seem like an experiment, basically, he got British people, read them the Native American story, got them to reproduce it a couple of times and observed things like (but not limited to) story getting shorter, changing story to more culturally similar e.g. canoe to boat, and names etc.

Where is the independent variable? it seems it's quasi as they're looking at the effect of culture (and cultural schema) on memory recall of a passage. The independent variable, if any, the culture, is naturalistic as it's naturally occurring is it not?

Thanks guys for any help

[citizenoftheuniverse]

I would say technically it's a study, not an experiment. However, it truly is such a minute detail that I doubt you would have to worry about it for Paper 1.

Just review and relax

[Tony Petrovik]

but it may be important if I'm doing a question on research methods and I'm trying to explain a lab experiment,

[blindpet]

but it may be important if I'm doing a question on research methods and I'm trying to explain a lab experiment,

If the question is on a lab experiment I would suggest using Loftus or some other more rigorous study than Bartlett if you want to be 1000% safe.

You are right, culture is the independent variable. In other studies gender can be the independent variable.

I would say all experiments are studies but not all studies are experiments.

[Tony Petrovik]

Yeah, i agree Blindpet, because experiments are experimental studies, but not all studies are as highly controlled as experiments.

Thanks, I only chose Bartlett because I know the study much better than loftus,

[pam527]

Bartlett's study IS technically an experiment. It is not an extremely well controlled experiment. But I believe it is one.

He had two groups. No control group. The first group involved groups of multiple people. The first person would read the original story and replicate it. The next person would read the replication done by the first and replicate that.

The second group involved groups one person. The person would read the original story. Then come back several weeks later and replicated it. They maybe did this another time, coming back and reading their own replication, but I am not sure.

If in doubt, say study, as a general rule.