P1 Research Methods - Sociology Experiments

Question 1

What are experiments?

Answer 1

Research where all other variables are controlled. This means that by changing one or more variables the effect of that change can be measured.

Question 2

Why are experiments used more widely in psychology than sociology?

Answer 2

1. It is possible to recreate real life in an artificial environment
2. There are so many ethical problems with carrying out experiments on people
3. There is a high chance of the experiment affecting the findings or results

Question 3

What are experimental groups?

Answer 3

The group where the variables are changed, changes are measured and recorded

Question 4

What are control groups?

Answer 4

The group where the variables are kept constant, any changes are also measured

Question 5

What are lab experiments?

Answer 5

An experiment conducted in a highly controlled environment where most variables are controlled.

Question 6

What are advantages of lab experiments?

Answer 6

1. Other researchers can repeat these experiments (highly reliable)
2. It is a detached method: researcher barely manipulates the variables and records the results (no personal feelings / opinions)

Question 7

What are disadvantages of lab experiments?

Answer 7

1. It is impossible to control and identify every possible variable that may affect the study
2. It can’t be used to study the past
3. It only studies a small sample

Question 8

What is a field experiment?

Answer 8

This experiment is conducted in a more natural environment

Question 9

What are advantages of field experiments?

Answer 9

1. It takes place in a natural surrounding rather than an artificial laboratory environment therefore slightly higher ecological validity
2. Those who are involved are generally not aware so less likely to be demand characteristics

Question 10

What are disadvantages of field experiments?

Answer 10

1. Can’t control all the variables as its less controlled
2. Can’t ask for consent

Question 11

What are advantages of comparative methods?

Answer 11

1. Carried out in the mind of the sociologist
2. Identify two groups that are alike in many ways
3. No ethical issues

Question 12

What are disadvantages of comparative methods?

Answer 12

1. Doesn’t involve real people
2. Researchers don’t have much control over variables

Question 13

What is deception?

Answer 13

Wrong to mislead subjects

Question 14

What is the right to withdraw?

Answer 14

Without a full briefing subjects can’t always make the decision

Question 15

What is informed consent?

Answer 15

Some groups are unable to give consent

Question 16

What is protection from harm?

Answer 16

Some studies have caused physical harm to subjects

Question 17

What is situational ethics?

Answer 17

Situation is taken into account first, before decision on the rules of right and wrong

Question 18

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

Answer 18

An experiment is not a natural environment behaviour in these conditions is unnatural or artificial - validity is difficult.

When people know they are being studied it can cause them to behave differently.

Question 19

What do interpretevists argue about free will in an experiment?

Answer 19

Interpretevists argue that humans are different from other living objects as we have free will, consciousness and choice.

This means our behaviour cannot be explained in terms of cause and effect, but only in the choices we make freely