experiments

Question 1

Practical considerations of lab experiments

Answer 1

Time consuming and expensive
Researcher may not be able to control all variables that may exert themselves in society
trouble with accessing the target group

Question 2

Ethical considerations of lab experiments

Answer 2

It is not ethical to experiment on humans
Informed consent - because the research does not involve deception, the participants know that they are being experimented on and so may withdraw

Question 3

Harvey and Slatin

Answer 3

Sample of 96 teachers
18 photographs of children from different social class backgrounds
these pictures were equally divided between gender and ethnicity (control of variables)
Lower class children rated less favourably than upper class children especially by more experienced teachers
No children were physically involved in the experiment in order to protect them from harm

Question 4

Positivists view of lab experiments

Answer 4

Positivists favour lab experiments as they provide quantitative data and are reliable and objective.
Sociology as a science
Test hypothesis

Question 5

Interpretivist view of lab experiments

Answer 5

reject lab experiments as humans should not be experimented on in the same way as plants and animals
Sociology should not be treated as a science
Not valid and does not provide insight

Question 6

GOPERVERT - What qualities do lab experiment have?

Answer 6

They are objective and reliable (both qualities that positivists favour)

Question 7

Practical considerations of field experiments

Answer 7

Time consuming
Expensive
Cannot control all variables
Impossible to accurately replicate the participants natural environment

Question 8

Ethical considerations of field experiments

Answer 8

deception is very common
Harm might come to participants
Informed consent
Gatekeepers

Question 9

Rosenthal and Jacobson

Answer 9

Oak school
identified 20% of pupils that they claimed to be spurters
in realty these pupils were chosen at random
The aim of the experiment was to investigate teacher expectations and labelling and its effect on their students.

Question 10

Positivist view of field experiments

Answer 10

positivists like field experiments but not as strongly as lab experiments as they have less control over variables and is less reliable.

Question 11

Interpretivist view of field experiments

Answer 11

Interpretivists prefer field experiments over lab experiments as they are more naturalistic and give the researcher more insight while preventing the hawthorne effect

Question 12

GOPERVERT - what qualities do field experiments have

Answer 12

Objective
Mostly valid
Reliable