Experiment, Other: Natural, Field

Abstract

This entry contains a definition and an overview of the different forms of experiments in media psychology. These are laboratory experiments, field experiments, quasi‐experiments, and natural experiments. Exemplary studies on mass media, such as radio, cinema, or TV, are presented and assigned to the characteristic fields of media psychology as computer‐mediated communication, mass media effects, and media selection. Starting with the Internet, new fields of media psychological research are presented. Furthermore, a state‐of‐the‐art description of modern data collection in media psychology is given—the Internet of Things and wearable technology. By combining reactive and nonreactive data, the possibilities and advantages of the new research methods in media psychology experiments are highlighted.