Experimental Disadvantages

Question 1

Experiments need what?

Answer 1

Need to treat one group differently from another similar group and compare results. However this poses ethical problems for sociologists as it may have negative effects on the experimental group

Question 2

People may object to what?

Answer 2

Being experimented on, and if they are deceived and don’t realizethey’re involved in an experiment –eg- to avoid the Hawthorne effect- then the researcher will not have obtained the informed concent required in order to be acting ethically

Question 3

In the social sciences, and sociology in particular, it is often different to isolate what?

Answer 3

A single cause of a social issue like crime or underachievement in school, and it is extremely difficult to update variables for testing eg. Crime and low achievement in school are the result of a range of causes

Question 4

What the Hawthorne effect?

Answer 4

When the presence of a researcher, or a groups knowledge that it is the focus of attention changes the behaviour of a group