field experiment
Real-world research trial
A field experiment is research conducted in real-world settings rather than laboratories, where researchers manipulate variables while observing subjects in their natural environment.
Common in social sciences and economics: The field experiment tested whether different signage increased voter turnout.
Field experiments sacrifice some control for ecological validity—results more likely reflect how people actually behave.
- randomizedArranged by chance
- random assignmentAllocation determined by chance
- control groupUntreated subjects for comparison
- treatment groupParticipants receiving the intervention
- interventionPurposeful involvement to change course
outdoor · naturalistic · in the wild · hypothesis · subjects · data collection · variables · treatment · observation · soil · crops · agricultural · manipulation · human subjects · real-world · replication · conditions · plots
field experimentmeta-analysis
Combined study statistics
literature review · survey research · computer modeling · thought experiment
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