Topic 2

Question 1

What is the comparative method?

Answer 1

A thought experiment carried out in the mind of the sociologist, not involving real people.

Question 2

How is the comparative method similar to laboratory and field experiments?

Answer 2

It is designed to discover cause and effect relationships.

Question 3

What is the second step in the comparative method?

Answer 3

Compare the two groups to see if the difference between them has any effect.

Question 4

What was Durkheim’s hypothesis in his study of suicide?

Answer 4

Low levels of integration into social groups cause higher rates of suicide.

Question 5

What did Durkheim find about Catholicism and Protestantism regarding suicide rates?

Answer 5

Catholicism produced higher levels of integration than Protestantism, predicting higher suicide rates for Protestants.

Question 6

How did Durkheim test his hypothesis?

Answer 6

By comparing suicide rates of Catholics and Protestants who were similar in all other respects.

Question 7

What are the three main advantages of the comparative method?

Answer 7

• Avoids artificiality
• Can be used to study past events
• Poses no ethical problems

Question 8

What is a disadvantage of the comparative method compared to field experiments?

Answer 8

It gives the researcher even less control over variables.

Question 9

True or False: The comparative method allows for certainty in discovering true causes.

Answer 9

False

Question 10

What do interpretivist sociologists believe about human behavior?

Answer 10

Humans have free will, consciousness, and choice

Question 11

Why can’t human behavior be studied through experiments according to interpretivist sociologists?

Answer 11

It cannot be explained in terms of cause and effect; it needs to be understood in terms of choices freely made

Question 12

What are the two main differences between field experiments and laboratory experiments?

Answer 12

• Field experiments take place in the subject’s natural surroundings
• Subjects are generally unaware they are part of an experiment

Question 13

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

Answer 13

The phenomenon where individuals modify their behavior in response to being observed

Question 14

What does a researcher do in a field experiment?

Answer 14

Manipulates one or more variables to assess their effect on subjects

Question 15

What was the main finding of Rosenhan’s 1973 ‘Pseudopatient’ experiment?

Answer 15

Patients were treated as mentally ill due to the label of ‘schizophrenia’, not their behavior

Question 16

What do field experiments offer in terms of research validity?

Answer 16

They are more natural, valid, and realistic

Question 17

What is a downside of making a research situation more realistic in field experiments?

Answer 17

Less control over variables, making it uncertain if identified causes are correct

Question 18

What ethical concerns are raised about field experiments?

Answer 18

Subjects are usually unaware they are being studied

Question 19

What is the comparative method in sociological research?

Answer 19

A method carried out only in the mind of the sociologist as a ‘thought experiment’

Question 20

What is the goal of the comparative method?

Answer 20

To discover cause and effect relationships

Question 21

What are ethical issues related to conducting experiments on humans?

Answer 21

Lack of informed consent, deception, harm

Ethical considerations are crucial in research involving human participants.

Question 22

What is the problem of informed consent in research?

Answer 22

Difficulty in obtaining consent from certain groups

Groups such as children or individuals with learning difficulties may not fully understand the research.

Question 23

What does deception in research refer to?

Answer 23

Misleading participants about the nature of the research

It is considered unethical to mislead participants.

Question 24

What was the main finding of Milgram’s (1974) study on obedience?

Answer 24

65% of participants were willing to administer 450 volts of electric shocks

Participants were misled about the true nature of the experiment.

Question 25

What were some observed reactions of participants in Milgram's experiment?

Answer 25

Sweating, trembling, groaning, biting lips, digging nails into flesh ## Footnote These reactions indicate the emotional distress experienced by participants.

Question 26

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

Answer 26

Behavior changes when people know they are being studied ## Footnote This effect can lead to invalid results in research.

Question 27

What did Elton Mayo's study at the Hawthorne plant reveal about worker productivity?

Answer 27

Productivity increased when working conditions were improved or worsened ## Footnote Workers responded to the awareness of being observed, not just the conditions.

Question 28

What is the main difference between laboratory experiments and field experiments?

Answer 28

Field experiments take place in natural surroundings ## Footnote Laboratory experiments occur in artificial environments.

Question 29

True or False: Human behavior can be fully explained by cause and effect.

Answer 29

False ## Footnote Human behavior should be understood in terms of free will and choices.

Question 30

Fill in the blank: The Hawthorne Effect is also known as the _______.

Answer 30

experimental effect ## Footnote This term emphasizes the impact of observation on behavior.

Question 31

What is a key advantage of laboratory experiments in terms of reliability?

Answer 31

They can be replicated and repeated in exactly the same way. ## Footnote This reliability stems from the ability of the original experimenter to specify precise steps for replication.

Question 32

Why are laboratory experiments considered a detached method?

Answer 32

The researcher manipulates variables and records results without personal feelings affecting findings. ## Footnote This detachment helps ensure objectivity in scientific research.

Question 33

What relationship do laboratory experiments help to establish?

Answer 33

Cause and effect relationships. ## Footnote This is significant for positivists who favor scientific approaches to research.

Question 34

What is a practical problem associated with laboratory experiments in sociology?

Answer 34

Society is complex, making it impossible to control all variables impacting phenomena like educational attainment. ## Footnote This complexity limits the effectiveness of laboratory experiments in sociological studies.

Question 35

Why can't laboratory experiments be used to study the past?

Answer 35

It's impossible to control variables that were acting in the past rather than the present.

Question 36

What is a limitation of laboratory experiments regarding sample size?

Answer 36

They usually study small samples, making it difficult to investigate large-scale phenomena. ## Footnote This limitation can reduce the representativeness of a study.

Question 37

What ethical issue involves informed consent in laboratory experiments?

Answer 37

Researchers may find it difficult to obtain informed consent from certain groups, such as children or individuals with learning difficulties.

Question 38

What ethical issue relates to deception in laboratory experiments?

Answer 38

It is considered wrong to mislead participants about the nature of the research.

Question 39

What did Milgram's 1974 study demonstrate regarding obedience to authority?

Answer 39

Participants were misled about the nature of the research, believing they were assisting in a learning experiment. ## Footnote In reality, the study tested their willingness to inflict pain.

Question 40

What percentage of Milgram's participants were willing to administer electric shocks?

Answer 40

65% were prepared to administer shocks.