The correct answer is: b. it doesn’t often reflect reality.
While experimental research has several advantages, including: investigating the effect of one variable on another, and the ability to control and eliminate confounding variables, it also has one major disadvantage. This disadvantage is known as: <em>lack of ecological validity</em>.
Lack of ecological validity means that the findings of research study might not be generalizable to real-life settings, and might only apply to laboratory settings. To avoid the problem of ecological validity, and to increase the validity of an experimental research study, a study should be conducted in natural settings when possible.
