Experiments

Question 1

What is a hypothesis and IV and DV?

Answer 1

hypothesis- what you intend to find out from the study
IV = i change, independent
DV= i measure, dependent

Question 2

what is an experiment and control group?

Answer 2

experiment - make a change
control- group that stays the same

Question 3

What is a cause and effect relationship?

Answer 3

When i make a change = What does it have an effect on?

Question 4

What are the PET issues of lab experiments?

Answer 4

P : take time aid cost a lot, establish cause and effect
E: protect them from any harm, informed consent, debrief needed, right to withdraw
T: reliable as it can be repeated, low validity as its in a lab setting, unrepresentative

Question 5

What are lab experiments?

Answer 5

Take place in controlled environments.
Use the scientific method to test specific hypotheses.
Aim to find cause-and-effect relationships between variables.
Involve manipulating variables in artificial situations.
Typically test predictions (hypotheses) about how one variable affects another.
If results differ between the control and Experimental, then researchers can conclude that any difference was due to the IV

Question 6

What are field experiments?

Answer 6

Field Experiments take place in real-life settings such as a classroom, the work place or even the high street. Field experiments are much more common in sociology than laboratory experiments
Field experiments in sociology allow researchers to study social phenomena in natural settings while maintaining control over experimental conditions. Unlike laboratory studies, field experiments enable observation of social behavior in contexts where it normally occurs.

Question 7

Example of field experiment: Rosenthal and Jacobson, Pygmalion in the classroom

Answer 7

Rosenthal and
Jacobsen manipulated teacher’s
perceptions of pupils and found this had a
positive impact on their achievement
cannot control extraneous variables

Question 8

PET issues of field experiments:

Answer 8

P: how do we access their natural environment i.e. a school has gatekeepers
E: informed consent, need to debrief, vulnerable, no harm
T: ecological validity as its their real life, low reliability

Question 9

What is the comparative method?

Answer 9

a thought experiment, the researcher has to identify two variables and collect data
Murdock

Question 10

PET issues of the comparative method?

Answer 10

P: fairly easy and quick
E: no ethical issues as there is no PPs
T: preferred by positivists, highly reliable, low validity