Laboratory Experiments

Question 1

Practical Advantages;

Answer 1

Easy-all you need to do is follow precise instructions.
Funding Bodies- prestige of being scientific, therefore not costly
Personal Characteristics- detached

Question 2

Ethical Advantages;

Answer 2

Informed Consent- Unnatural setting, requirement for funding.
Legality- Legal
Benefits Society- sometimes break ethical guidelines but the benefits outweigh this.

Question 3

Theoretical Advantages;

Answer 3

Reliability; controlled environment, easy to replicate.

Question 4

Practical Disadvantages;

Answer 4

Money- Specific Monetary costs

Question 5

Ethical Disadvantages;

Answer 5

Vulnerable Groups- May be difficult to gain informed consent from these groups.
Deception- Scientist have a form of authority and could easily lie to participants as to what the research is about.

Question 6

Theoretical Disadvantages;

Answer 6

Validity- Cannot get a deep answer therefore you cannot tell if it’s fully true.
Representativeness; Small sample size means you cannot generalise.
Hawthorne Effect; People may change their behaviours as they know they are being watched.

Question 7

Ethical Case?

Answer 7

Milgram 1974; studied obedience to authority and lied to participants, lead to adverse mental health damage.