What characterizes field experiments in social psychology?

Field experiments in social psychology are characterized by their implementation in natural environments rather than controlled laboratory settings. This approach allows researchers to observe behaviors and social interactions in real-life contexts, leading to findings that may be more applicable to everyday situations. The setting can significantly influence participants' behaviors, making field experiments valuable for understanding how social dynamics operate outside of a sterile lab environment.

In contrast, experiments conducted in controlled laboratory settings are typically more artificial and may not accurately capture the complexities of social behavior as they occur in the real world. While participant involvement can vary in field experiments, it is not a defining characteristic; these studies can range from minimal to high involvement depending on the design. Additionally, field experiments do not focus exclusively on quantitative data collection; they can incorporate qualitative data as well, making them flexible and rich in providing insights into social phenomena. This combination of realism and diversity in data collection is what sets field experiments apart in social psychology.