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Difference Between Lab & Field Experiments

An experiment is a systematic way of proving or disproving a hypothesis. Scientists use experimentation to determine a cause and effect relationship between the test subject and its environment. Whether to do it in a laboratory or out in the open has long been a debate among researchers. Both types of experiments follow the scientific method, although they differ in how some steps are conducted.

Setting
- A laboratory experiment is done in a closed setting or in a highly controlled environment. This lets researchers conduct full replication of the experiment in other laboratories. The validity of a lab experiment, however, is often questioned, as subjects are isolated from their natural surroundings and the chances of producing distorted behaviors can be high. A field experiment, on the other hand, takes place in the ̶0;real̶1; world. It is considered more valid, as validity is considered achieved due to less artificiality in the experiment. A field experiment also allows scientists to conduct a blind study where the subjects aren̵7;t aware they are being scrutinized.
Variables
- Both types of experiments have variables, the aspects or part of an experiment that can change at any given moment during the experiment. These are divided into two groups: the independent variables and the dependent variables. In a laboratory experiment, controlling independent variables results in a precise measurement of behaviors and identical conditions for participants. On the other hand, field experiments can experience inconsistencies with the control group and often have many variables to eliminate.
Uses
- Social scientists, like psychologists, generally prefer conducting tests in the field, because social situations in which subjects' relationships with their natural surroundings are studied. Experiments in molecular biology, chemistry and medicine, on the other hand, are better conducted in a laboratory, where a lesser number of set variables are needed to yield a credible result.
Cost
- Depending on the experiment, one type could be more expensive to conduct than the other. For example, a long oceanographical research program could be more expensive than studying organisms in vitro. A trip every day to the middle of the sea in a moderately-sized ship could cost thousands of dollars. On the other hand, a biochemical experiment could cost more if it involves using extracted enzymes from rare and specific specimens, or trying to recreate chemicals rarely found naturally.

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