Lab experiments

Question 1

What is a lab experiment?

Answer 1

A highly controlled test in an artificial setting to establsh cause and effect

Question 2

KEY STUDY: Milgram (1974)

Answer 2

Investigated obedience to authority. Deceived participants by telling them they had to give an increasing electric shock to a fake ‘learner’ every time they got a question wrong. Participants were forced to continue even when they resisted

Question 3

KEY STUDY: Mayo (1927)

Answer 3

Hawthorne Effect: Mayo was asked to investigate productivity at the Hawthorne Plant (factory). Changed many variables which they thought would increase or decrease productivity. Found that all changes led to an increase; concluded that the participants changed their behaviour because they knew they were being watched

Question 4

What are some practical strengths of lab experiments?

Answer 4

• Quick, especially for small-scale research
• Cheap. Only need a lab/space to conduct the study

Question 5

What are some practical weaknesses of lab experiments?

Answer 5

• Cannot always be used in sociology as society cannot fit into a lab
• Impossible to identify and control all variables which could affect the experiments (extraneous variables)
• Cannot be used to study the past
• Can only be used to study small samples

Question 6

What are some ethical strengths of lab experiments?

Answer 6

• Informed consent is gained as participants do not have to take part
• Debriefs can be given after the experiment
• Supporters of Milgram argue that, even though his study was unethical, it was worth doing to find out what it takes to force a person to do something

Question 7

What are some ethical weaknesses of lab experiments?

Answer 7

• Lack of informed consent, if deception is involved
• Could cause harm and distress to participants
• Could rely on deception

Question 8

What are some theoretical strengths of lab experiments?

Answer 8

• Positivists like them as they are reliable, thanks to being highly controlled and gaining quantiative data
• Can be repeated on different participants to increase representativeness
• Objectivity; standardised, so little chance for the researcher to influence the study

Question 9

What are some theoretical weaknesses of lab experiments?

Answer 9

• Interpretivists dislike them as verstehen cannot be gained, and they are low in validity (they only find out what happens, not why)
• Hawthorne effect can take place
• Lacks ecological validity as it is an articial setting
• Expectancy effect; participants may do what they think the researcher wants them to do, reducing validity