experiments Flashcards
laboratory experiments - groups???
the experimental group - independent variable is changed, recording the measurements
the control group - keep variables constant, measure and then compare
his helps to establish cause and effect relationships
reliability of laboratory experiments why??
lab is very reliable because
original experimenter can specify exactly what steps were followed in original experiment
detached method - researcher never manipulates + records results. no personal feeling + opinions have no effect on outcome of experiment
practical problems of laboratory experiments
it is impossible the eliminate all variables that may have an influence on the measurements
lab experiments can not duty’s the past impossible to control variables that are acting in the past
only study small samples - how are we going to study social phenomena that he opens at a large scale e.g voting patterns
ethical problems of laboratory experiments
lack of informed consent- diff uk it to obtain from children or disabled people who naught not be able to understand the nature + purpose of the study
deception - Milgrams study of obedience to authority he lied to them not telling the true purpose. participants were very stressed
Harm - Milgrams experiment cussed harm to participants trembling,biting lips, some had seizures
however his diffuser was very useful in finding unexpected result 74% said they learned something of lasting value
the hawthorne effect
lab is not natural environment do behaviour may be artificial + unnatural no valid results
participants try to second guess sim of experiment and act accordingly. participants are meant to act to the variables not the fact they are being observed
1927 Mayo western electric company’s hawthorne plant did research on factors effecting workers output. Even if conditions got worse workers still worked hard to please researchers . reacting to the fact they are being studied
why can our behaviour not be looked at in cause and effect according to interpretivists
we have free will, consciousness and choice
behaviour can only be understood by analysed choices we make
what are field experiments
- takes place in persons own natural surroundings not in artificial lab
- those involved not aware that they are subjects of experiments
Rosenhans psuedopatient experiment - what does it show
researchers represented themselves at 12 california mental hospitals. each admitted as schizophrenic
once i. hospital they acted normal but we’re still treated as schizophrenic because of the label
she is the value of field experiments natural + realistic to avoid artificiality of labs
why are field experiments unethical
no fully informed consent given, not carrying out experiment without their knowledge
the comparative method
a thought experiment does not involve any process of research
designed to discoverer cause and effect relationships
step 1 identify two alike groups in major except for one variable
step 2 : compare two groups you want to see if the variable has any difference
Durkheim study of suicide : the comparative method
study on suicide. hypothesis : low levels of integration of individuals caused suicide
catholics had higher integration that protestantism so catholics would have lower levels of suicide
he compared suicide rates in the both social groups. prediction was supported official statistics
3 advantages of the comparative method
avoids artificiality
studies last events
no ethical problems
disadvantage of the comparative method
less control over variables that field experiments
was something really discovered
