Enhancing Student Learning Experiences Using Laboratories in Tourism Studies

Background

Laboratory experiments are a frequent technique to enhance causal knowledge in the physical and biological sciences. The social sciences have been slower to adopt laboratory experiments than other fields, except for psychology, although in the past 20 years, there has been progress. Nonetheless, social scientists who argue that lab research lacks “realism” and generalizability are in substantial opposition. To assess the advantages and limitations of laboratory social science experiments, we compare them in this article with nonexperimental data research and field investigations. We propose that there are many modern objections to lab experiments that are unfounded and that more lab investigations need to be conducted. Establishing causal links between variables is one advantage of laboratory social science investigations. Lab experiments provide researchers with the ability to control variables and account for confounding factors, which enhances the internal validity of the results compared to nonexperimental data research and field investigations. Furthermore, the controlled atmosphere of lab studies facilitates consistency and reproducibility in the testing of theories. Despite the criticism, additional lab investigations can advance our knowledge of social processes in a more thorough manner (Falk, Armin & Heckman, James; 2009).