EXPERIMENTS

Question 1

Experiments definition

Answer 1

scientists manipulate variables they are interested in to discover what effects they have. This establishes cause and effect relationships

Question 2

Two types of experiments…

Answer 2

Lab and Field

Question 3

Lab experiments-positivists view

Answer 3

• reliable because other scientists can replicate the experiment
• identify cause and effect relationships
• research detachment so the scientists views don’t affect the outcome (no biasedness)

Question 4

Lab experiments-Interpretivists view

Answer 4

-claim experiments produce low validity as is an artificial situation producing unnatural behaviour

Question 5

Disadvantages of lab experiments (positivists)

Answer 5

• impossible/unethical to control all variables

- small scale=results can[‘t be generalised from (not representative)

Question 6

Disadvantages of lab experiments (Interpretivists)

Answer 6

• fails to achieve main goal of validity

- favour naturalistic field experiments

Question 7

Practical issues with lab experiments

Answer 7

• impossible to control all variables
• cannot be used to study past
• difficult to investigate large scale=reduces representativeness

Question 8

Ethical issues with lab experiments

Answer 8

• researcher needs informed consent of participants-can be difficult to obtain e.g children/disabled
• wrong to mislead people as to nature of experiment e.g. Milgram did in obedience to authority

Question 9

The Hawthorne effect

Answer 9

• if you know you are being studied, you may behave differently
• e.g (1927) Mayo concluded workers worked best when conditions were good, but continued to rise when conditions worsened

Question 10

Free will is an issue with lab experiments

Answer 10

behaviour cannot be explained in terms of cause and effect. only in terms of choices we freely make

Question 11

Rosenthal and Jacobson field experiment example

Answer 11

• manipulated teachers expectations of children due to labelling effect
• teachers expectations=independent variable
• tested after 1 year
• group that was told they were going to do well DID

Question 12

Advantages of field experiments

Answer 12

-less artificial as set in real world situations
-valid because people are unaware of experiment and will act normally
(INTERPRETIVISTS LIKE) as achieves main goal of validity

Question 13

Disadvantages of field experiments

Answer 13

• less control over variables as sociologist can’t control all variables in situation
• do not gain informed consent of those involved=ethical problems