2.3 RESEARCH METHODS: EXPERIMENTS

Question 1

define lab experiment:

Answer 1

-manufactured environment where variables can be controlled

Question 1

what is an experimental group?

Answer 1

-the group in an experiment that is under controlled conditions (receives the variable being tested)

Question 2

what is the control group?

Answer 2

a group that isn’t under controlled conditions

Question 3

what is an independent variable?

Answer 3

• the variable that is being changed in the experiment

Question 4

what is a dependent variable?

Answer 4

• the variable that is being measured in the experiment

Question 5

what are 3 reasons why data from lab experiments may be high in validity?

Answer 5

-easy to replicate (so you can repeat the experiment with same results to be determined each time)
-standardized (has clear instructions as a method)
-objective (researcher just observes with no opinion so no bias)

Question 6

identify 3 practical issues with lab experiments:

Answer 6

-can’t study society in a lab (artificial) so low validity
-can’t use it to study the past
-can’t use it for large scale phenomenon

Question 7

identify 3 ethical issues with lab experiments:

Answer 7

-allowing physical and psychological harm
-deception
-lack of informed consent

Question 8

why may positivists favour laboratory experiments?

Answer 8

-they like reliability
-they like the cause and effect
-having control means it can be replicated

Question 9

what are 2 problems of using laboratory experiments in sociological research?

Answer 9

-it can be hard to control (so it’s unethical)
- it’s unrepresentative

Question 10

why do interpretivists reject the use of laboratory experiments?

Answer 10

-low validity and prefers field experiments
-causes unnatural behaviour (artificial)

Question 11

why do interpretivists prefer field experiments?

Answer 11

• they are more naturalistic so more close to real life

Question 12

what is the Hawthorne Effect and why it may lead to invalid data?

Answer 12

-the hawthorne effect is the change of behaviour when being observed so it leads to invalid data as it isn’t their true reaction/ behaviour needed for the results

Question 13

what are field experiments?

Answer 13

-conducted in real world so not in controlled setting
- has more valid results as participants don’t know they’re being investigated = no hawthorne effect

Question 14

what are 2 steps involved in carrying out a ‘thought experiment’ by Durkheim ?

Answer 14

-identify 2 groups which are similar in every way but apart from one.
-then compare the 2 groups to see if this one difference has any impact on their behaviour.

Question 15

give a theoretical disadvantage of using field experiments:

Answer 15

-less control over variables -> do not meet rigorous scientific criteria

Question 16

give an ethical issue of using field experiments:

Answer 16

-do not usually gain consent of those involved as it would ‘give the game away’.

Question 17

what was Rosenthal and Jacob’s study?

Answer 17

-Pygmalion in the classroom - Self fulfilling prophecy conducted in the field
high in reliability and validity

Question 18

what were the concerns of Rosenthal and Jacobsen’s experiment?

Answer 18

-no ethical consideration (affecting people’s lives) and uninformed consent ( students- vulnerable and teacher deceived)

Question 19

why was Rosenthal and Jacob’s study reliable and valid?

Answer 19

-had a control group to improve reliability and was in a classroom setting
-however not ethical as deception required

Question 20

identify a practical disadvantage of field experiments:

Answer 20

gatekeepers - prevent experiment from being conducted

Question 21

what are ethical problems?

Answer 21

• informed consent
  -deceiving vulnerable groups

Question 22

what is a narrow focus?

Answer 22

-one type of specific element (small scale)

Question 23

what are practical problems?

Answer 23

-impossible to control all the variables

Question 24

what is artificiality?

Answer 24

-it’s ‘fake’ as you can’t apply to real life settings