What distinguishes a field experiment from a laboratory experiment?

Field experiments are characterized by their conduct within natural environments, distinguishing them from laboratory experiments that take place in controlled settings. This context allows researchers to observe behaviors and phenomena in real-world situations, making the findings potentially more generalizable to everyday life.

Conducting experiments in natural environments helps to enhance ecological validity, meaning that the results may better reflect the complexities and variabilities present in actual situations. This is crucial in psychology, where the behaviors being studied often occur in varied contexts influenced by numerous factors that a laboratory setting might not accurately replicate.

Understanding that the primary distinction lies in the location of the experiment — whether it's in a controlled lab environment or an uncontrolled, real-world setting — highlights the unique advantages and challenges presented by field experiments.