DJs Primary Research Methods

Question 1

EXPERIMENTS:

What are lab experiments?

Answer 1

-Lab experiments involve the scientist manipulating the variables in which they are interested, in order to discover what affect, they have. By following this method, the scientist can discover a cause-and-effect relationship and observe behaviour patterns to stay-change. This will allow the scientist to predict accurately what will happen in the future under specified conditions.

Question 2

List the advantages of lab experiments?

Answer 2

Reliable
Theoretical (positivists)

Question 3

Explain how Lab experiments are reliable:

Answer 3

-Lab experiments are considered to be completely reliable because once they have been conducted, other researchers can replicate it following exactly the same steps, obtaining the same results.

Question 4

Explain why positivists see the objective nature of lab experiments as an advantage:

Answer 4

Positivists believe that lab experiments are a very detached method of research because the scientist merely alters the variables and records the results. The scientists personal opinions and feelings have no influence on the conduct of the outcome of the experiment. Therefore, positivists, who see sociology as a science, like this method as they seen it as being an objective way to conduct research modelled on scientific methodology.

Question 5

What are the disadvantages of using lab experiments?

Answer 5

-practicality
-Validity

Question 6

Explain how lab experiments can be seen as lacking practicality:

Answer 6

-Limited Control Over Variables: social behaviour is influenced by many interconnected and unpredictable variables. It would be impossible to identify, let alone control all the variables that might impact on behaviour in a lab experiment. For example, emotions, past experiences, social norms, group dynamics, and cultural contexts are variables that are difficult to control because individuals in a lab experiment may act differently from how they would in real-world situations. This makes it difficult to replicate the same conditions or measure all the relevant factors in a lab experiment.

Question 7

Explain how lab experiments can be seen as producing invalid results:

Answer 7

-Many sociologists have doubts about using lab experiments in human social research as they see them as artificial environments producing artificial results. A laboratory is not a normal or natural environment, lacking specific contexts, and therefore it is unlikely that behaviour in these conditions is true to life and valid. Furthermore, if people are aware they are being researched, they may consciously or sub-consciously change their typical behaviour. This is known as the Hawthorn Effect, and will lead to invalid results.