Experiments Flashcards
Who are they used by?
Natural scientist
Biologists, chemists
2 types
Lab
Field
Lab experiments
Done in controlled environment
What does the researcher do in a lab experiment?
Changes the independent variable and observes the effect on the dependant variable
Who likes lab experiments?
Psychologists
Field experiments
Response to the criticism of lab experiments
Where do field experiments a take place?
Outside of lab in real social settings
Are people aware in field experiments?
No they are unaware
Who likes field experiments?
Interpretivist sociologists
Lab strengths?
Researcher has control
Quantitative data
Replicate research
Lab limitations?
Hard to reproduce real social situations
Difficult to isolate single variables
Moral and ethical issues
People may be intimidated
Field strengths?
Done in natural social settings
Show hidden meanings of everyday social interaction
Field limitations?
Can’t control variables
People will change behaviour if they know they are being studied
If unaware - ethical problem
What is the Hawthorne effect?
Changing someone’s behaviour to be seen in a positive light
