experiments

Question 1

studies

Answer 1

milgram - obedience experiment

Question 2

independent variable

Answer 2

the variable that is changed by the sociologist

Question 3

dependent variable

Answer 3

the variable we do not alter ourselves - we use this to see if changing the independent variable has any effect on the dependent variable

Question 4

experimental group

Answer 4

the group where the independent variable is changed

Question 5

the control group

Answer 5

the group where no change in made to the independent variable

Question 6

practical strength of lab experiments

Answer 6

cost/time - can be done quite quickly if facilities are readily available and at little cost

Question 7

theoretical strength of lab experiments

Answer 7

reliability - experiments should be reliable - the research should be able to be repeated and statistical analysis of data checked

detachment - the researcher is detached from the group and only intervenes by changing the independent variable

objectivity - due to detachment, the results should be objective as the researcher should not impose their own views or interpretations into the research process

Question 8

what theory likes lab experiments

Answer 8

positivism

favour this type of research as it is seen as scientific due to being quantitative, reliable and objective research

positivists believe results are valid as they are not influenced by the researcher’s own views

Question 9

practical limitations of lab experiments

Answer 9

snap shot - can only study one particular time so no historical dimension to the research - variables may impact behaviour over time - hard to capture in a controlled environment

small sample - can only study issues that affect small groups of people - large scale phenomena such as voting patterns are hard to study through this methodology

Question 10

ethical limitations of lab experiments

Answer 10

informed consent - some people may not understand the nature of the experiment so can’t provide informed consent such as children and those with learning disabilities

harm - experiments can cause distress or even in some cases physical and emotion harm

Question 11

theoretical limitations of lab experiments

Answer 11

validity - participants know they are part of an experiment so may act differently - this is called the hawthorne effect - they may also try to please the researcher with their behaviour

ecological validity - experiments are conducted in artificial environments rather than in the community so participants’ behaviour and actions will not reflect how people normally behave and interact

Question 12

what theory doesnt like lab experiments

Answer 12

interpretivism

they do not believe experiments are valid as not only do they suffer from problems with validity, but interpretivists believe that people have free will and we can only study society through examining interactions and choices we make freely

Question 13

what is a field experiment

Answer 13

some experiments take place outside of the laboratory in a subject’s natural environment

whilst they share many of the same advantages and disadvantages from lab experiments there are a few differences

Question 14

practical strength of field experiment

Answer 14

you may be able to study groups who would not grant access in a controlled setting

Rosenhan - was able to get his students admitted to psychiatric hospitals

Question 15

theoretical strengths of field experiments

Answer 15

validity - research takes place in wider society so people school behave in a more natural manner increasing validity

validity - as the true nature of the research is often kept covert, there should be less impact of the expectancy effect and possibly the hawthorne effect

Question 16

ethical limitations of field experiments

Answer 16

informed consent - people are often deceived about the true nature of the research or are unaware that they are part of an experiment

Question 17

theoretical limitations of field experiments

Answer 17

validity - if people know they are part of an experiment, their behaviour will change

control of variables - it is harder to control variables in the field so the researcher cannot be sure that changes observed are due to the variables they have tried to change

reliability - due to taking place in a natural environment, some field experiments may be hard to accurately replicate

Question 18

what is the comparative method

Answer 18

find cause and effect relationships

groups are identified by the sociologist for being similar in all aspects bar the one variable we are interested in

Question 19

example of comparative method

Answer 19

Durkheim’s study of suicide

he split western society on religious grounds between protestants and catholics

believed catholics were more integrated into their communities while protestants were more individualistic

by comparing official stats on suicide rates between two groups found that protestants have higher suicide rate

Question 20

ethical strengths - comparative method

Answer 20

should avoid issues of causing harm and gaining informed consent

Question 21

theoretical strength of comparative method

Answer 21

artificiality - less artificial than studying groups in a lab so should have higher ecological validity

historical - can be used to study past events and groups over a number of years

Question 22

limitations of comparative method

Answer 22

control over variables - it is much harder to accurately control all relevant variables so research may not be valid

a thought experiment - the groups selected may differ by more than one variable

validity - the data you collect may not be accurate

Question 23

impact of experiments in wider sociological research

Answer 23

quantitative data from social surveys will often be statistically analysed in terms of independent and dependent variables

sociologists will often compare two groups and look at how one issue alters their experience