Experiments Flashcards
How does an experiment work?
The researcher will take two groups that are alike in every single way and split it into the control group and the experimental group. They will then alter the independent variable and see if the dependent variable changes compared to the control group. If nothing changes then the variable can be dismissed as a cause of the thing and other variables can be investigated.
What else can an experiment be affected by?
The surroundings and other factors, these are called extraneous variables.
What are lab experiments?
They test hypothesies in controlled conditions so it is easier to establish a cause and effect. Comparisons can be made to other research methods and the experiment can be replicated in another labatory at a different time.
What’s an example of a lab experiment?
Banduars doll
What are field experiments?
It takes place in the real world under normal social conditions but follows similar procedures to the lavatory experiment.
What’s an example of a field experiment?
Elliott on discrimination
What happened in Elliotts field study?
She decided to teach her class about discrimination by splitting them based on their eye colour. She designated blue eyed children as the superior group and gave them extra privileges. At first there was resistance but eventually it fell away. The blue eyed children became bossy arrogant and treated the brown eyed children unfairly. Their grades on tests became better then their peers and they completed mathematical and reading tasks that had seen outside of their ability before. The brown eyed children became timid and scored Moor poorly on tests, even previous out going ones began to isolate themselves.
What is the comparative method?
This involves collecting data about different society’s or groups in the real word and then comparing them to another to identify the cause of a social event.
What’s an example of a comparative method?
Durkheims study on suicide
What did Durkheims study on suicide find?
He used comparative methods and found that low level integration into social groups caused high rates of suicide. For example, Catholics (who had all the same social factors as the protestants they were compared too) had lower rates of suicide then Protestants because they had stronger forms of social control and cohesion among them then Protestants did. He also found suicide less common in: women then men, romantically patterned people then single and people with children then people without. He also found that soldiers are more likely to be suicidal then civilians and rates of suicide are higher in peacetime then in war. This proved that suicide can be caused by social factors not just individual physiological ones.
What type of experiment was Milgrams?
a lab experiment
What happened in Milgrams study?
In the study, an authority figure ordered participants to deliver what they believed were dangerous electrical shocks to another person. These results suggested that people are highly influenced by authority, and highly obedient.
What is an example apart from Elliots of an experiment in the classroom?
Rosenthal and Jacobsons pygmalion in the classroom
Why was the pygmalion in the classroom field experiment possible?
The school is a sealed environment so the variables can be easily manipulated far more easy then in other social contexts. Although it lacked the preciseness of a labatory it could still say things about cause and effect
What are issues with experiments in classrooms?
Access especially as criminals checks must be carried out before a researcher can come in contact with children.
