Experiments - Laboratory Expeiments

Question 1

What is the environment of a lab experiment?

Answer 1

Tightly controlled and artificial

Question 2

What is the objective of a lab experiment?

Answer 2

To see if one variable has an impact on another

Question 3

What do scientists do to a variable to see the impact it has on another?

Answer 3

They manipulate it - make it become the IV

Question 4

What two groups are compared in lab experiments?

Answer 4

Experimental group vs control group

Question 5

What can a scientist establish from a lab experiment?

Answer 5

A cause-and-effect relationship

Question 6

How can an experiment be reliable?

Answer 6

If it can be replicated exactly again and produce the same results each time

Question 7

Which sociologists favour lab experiments?

Answer 7

Positivists

Question 8

Impact of the scientists opinions or feeling on the results of a lab experiment

Answer 8

Scientists opinions/feeling have no impact on results or outcomes

Question 9

What sociologists have problems with lab experiments?

Answer 9

Interpretivists

Question 10

Why do Keat and Urry believe lab experiments aren’t practical for the study of society?

Answer 10

They believe lab experiments are only suitable for studying closed systems however society are open systems

Question 11

Closed system

Answer 11

System where all relevant variables are controlled by the researcher

Question 12

How do individuals limit the practicality of using lab experiments for sociological research?

Answer 12

As individuals are complex there is no way to match members of control and experimental groups precisely

Question 13

What can’t lab experiments be used to study?

Answer 13

The past

Question 14

How is the expectancy effect a practical issue with the use of lab experiments for sociological research?

Answer 14

The expectations of the researcher may influence the actual outcome

Question 15

How is the Hawthorne Effect a possible practical issue of the use of lab experiments for sociological research?

Answer 15

The artificial environment of a lab experiment may mean that any behaviour from the participants is artificial

Question 16

Hawthorne Effect summary

Answer 16

In 1927, Mayo set up an experiment in the Hawthorne plant of a Chicago company. He found out that the presence and interest of the researcher was the most important variable affecting production

Question 17

Ethical issues of using lab experiments for sociological research

Answer 17

Informed consent
Harm to participants

Question 18

Why do some people justify harm to participants?

Answer 18

Some argue that minor harm may be justified ethically if results yield significant social benefit

Question 19

What do interpretivists believe that lab experiments lack?

Answer 19

They believe they lack validity

Question 20

What data do lab experiments produce?

Answer 20

Quantitative data

Question 21

What theoretical factor do positivists see as an important benefit of lab experiments?

Answer 21

Representativeness

Question 22

Why may lab experiments lack external validity?

Answer 22

Because they can’t be sure to be reflective of the wider population

Question 23

Practical issue about the use of lab experiments for sociological research in schools

Answer 23

Schools are large institutions that have many variables that may affect teacher expectations

Question 24

Practical issue with using lab experiments to study teacher expectations

Answer 24

It’s impossible to control all variables affecting teacher expectations

Question 25

What can’t be studied in small scale lab settings?

Answer 25

Large scale social factors

Question 26

Why is it hard to pick one variable to analyse in regards to its affect on teacher expectations?

Answer 26

Because expectations can be affected by many variables

Question 27

Why does the use of lab experiments for the study of teacher expectations have a narrow focus?

Answer 27

Because they only study one aspect of teacher expectations

Question 28

Why may a narrow focus be useful for sociological research?

Answer 28

Because a narrow focus allows the researcher to examine a specific variable thoroughly