field experiments

Question 1

practical

Answer 1

✓ Less artificiality: As field experiments are set in real-world situations, they are closer to real-life than laboratory experiments.
× Less control over variables: Field experiments do not meet the rigorous scientific criteria of the laboratory experiment because the sociologist cannot control all the variables in a real-life situation. × Time & cost: Time consuming method due to lengthy planning, application & analysis which also makes this a potentially costly method.

× Personal skills: Researchers may need specific skills to use this method effectively (e.g. to be a ‘people person’ if they are directly involved with participants or if the experiments involves some form of ‘acting’ in order to deceive the people unknowingly taking part).

Question 2

ethics

Answer 2

× Raise a number of ethical issues: Many experiments involved some kind of ‘blind’ to conceal the real aims of the research from the subjects, so as to avoid this knowledge influencing their actions. This means that the researcher must often deceive participants with regards to the true nature of the study & therefore cannot obtain their informed consent. Another issue is the possible emotional & psychological harm some experiments may have on those involved.

Question 3

reliability

Answer 3

✓ Some level of reliability: Once an experiment has been conducted, other researchers can then replicate it to some degree. E.g. Within 5 years of Rosenthal & Jacobson’s field experiment, it had been repeated no less than 242 times.

🗶 However, field experiments are far less reliable than lab experiments as there is far less control over variables as they are conducted in natural settings that cannot be controlled to the same degree as lab experiments.

Question 4

validity

Answer 4

✓ Higher in validity: As people are likely to be unaware of the experimental situation & are in their usual social environment, they will act normally. Their reactions will be genuine & the data collected will be high in validity. However, this does then raise a number of ethical issues (as detailed above).

Question 5

examples

Answer 5

• Rosenthal & Jacobson’s (1968) ‘Pygmalion in the Classroom’ study used a real school situation & planted ideas in the minds of some of the teachers about how well students would perform in the future. They then measured whether this prediction turned into reality to indicate how far teacher expectations & labelling influence achievement.
• David Rosenhan’s (1973) ‘pseudopatient’ experiment where a team of eight ‘normal’ researchers presented themselves at 12 Californian mental hospitals, complaining that they had been hearing voices. Once in hospital they ceased to complain of hearing voices & acted normally throughout. Concluded that the label ‘schizophrenic’ itself led to staff treating them all as if they were mentally ill.

Question 6

Representativeness

Answer 6

× Often not representative: Despite taking place in the real world, field experiments are often still limited in sample size so the participants are not always typical of the wider research population. This would then mean that generalisations cannot be made from the research.

Question 7

theory

Answer 7

✓ Interpretivists favour more naturalistic field experiments: As they are closer to real life & often do not involve the direct control of variables.

× Criticised by positivists: As the control over variables is reduced with field experiments.