Experiments

Question 1

What are the problems with laboratory experiments?

Answer 1

Artificial environment
The Hawthorne effect
Ethical problems
Participants have free will

Question 2

What are the advantages of field experiments?

Answer 2

Less artificiality

Validity

Question 3

What are the disadvantages of field experiments?

Answer 3

Less control over variables
Limited application
Ethical problems

Question 4

What are questionnaires?

Answer 4

A method of gathering responses by asking pre-set questions which tend to be closed-ended with pre-coded answers.

Question 5

What are the advantages of questionnaires?

Answer 5

Quick and cheap
Reliable
Useful for testing hypotheses
Detachment and objectivity
Representative
Lack of ethical issues

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of questionnaires?

Answer 6

If detached you don't know who completed the questionnaire
Response rate may be low
Inflexibility
Detachment
Socially desired answers
Imposing the researcher's meanings.

Question 7

What are the two types of interviews?

Answer 7

Structured

Unstructured

Question 8

What are the advantages of structured interviews?

Answer 8

Reliability
Representativeness
Low cost
Contact with interviewee

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of structured interviews?

Answer 9

Lack of validity
Reliability may be reduced due to interviewer effect
Cost of employing and training interviewers
Sensitive issues

Question 10

What are the disadvantages of unstructured interviews?

Answer 10

Strong rapport may make interviewee give the answer that the researcher wants to hear
Lack of reliability
Lack of representativeness
Not suitable for sensitive issues
Cost