Lab experiments Flashcards

1
Q

What is a lab experiment?

A

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

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2
Q

KEY STUDY: Milgram (1974)

A

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

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3
Q

KEY STUDY: Mayo (1927)

A

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

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4
Q

What are some practical strengths of lab experiments?

A
  • Quick, especially for small-scale research
  • Cheap. Only need a lab/space to conduct the study
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5
Q

What are some practical weaknesses of lab experiments?

A
  • 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
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6
Q

What are some ethical strengths of lab experiments?

A
  • 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
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7
Q

What are some ethical weaknesses of lab experiments?

A
  • Lack of informed consent, if deception is involved
  • Could cause harm and distress to participants
  • Could rely on deception
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8
Q

What are some theoretical strengths of lab experiments?

A
  • 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
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9
Q

What are some theoretical weaknesses of lab experiments?

A
  • 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
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