Topic 2 - Experiments Flashcards
Define a Laboratory Experiment
These are experiments that take place in controlled environments and aim to use the scientific method to test a specific hypothesis.
Define the Hawthorne Effect
As the participant is aware of the experiment they may behave differently to meet expectations.
Give a practical advantage of lab experiments
Easy to attract funding - they hold the prestige of being a science and thus being objective
Give an ethical advantage of lab experiments
Informed consent - as they take place in an unnatural setting participants must have given consent
Give a theoretical advantage of lab experiments
Reliability - takes place in a controlled environment so can be easily replicated
Give a practical disadvantage of lab experiments
Money - in order to carry it out you are required to hire a lab and buy specific lab equipment
Give an ethical disadvantage of lab experiments
Ease of deception - as scientists have a form of authority so participants will trust and listen to them
Give a theoretical disadvantage of lab experiments
Validity - as the research is focused on collecting statistical data you cannot get a deeper meaning out of the research
Define a Field Experiment
A form of research that takes place in a natural environment where participants are generally not aware of the experiment.
Give a practical advantage of Field experiments
Money - it is cheaper as the setting used is pre-existing
Give an ethical advantage of field experiments
Unintrusive - as it can be done without having participants going out of their ways to be involved
Give a theoretical advantage of field experiments
Validity - it is valid as it shows people being most truthful to how they would act in their everyday life
Give a practical disadvantage of field experiments
time - it takes a long time for the required outcomes to be observed as people may not interact with the experiment.
Give an ethical disadvantage of field experiments
Consent - as participants are not usually aware of the experiment. consent is often mandatory for social research
Give a theoretical disadvantage to Field experiments
Reliability - as the data is hard to repeat over and over again due to the uncontrolled nature of field experiments.
Define the comparative method
Using secondary data a researcher would compare and observe different data to come to a conclusion on a hypothesis
Give a practical advantage of the comparative method
Money - as there is no actual experiment the only cost is that of the statistics used by the researcher
give an ethical advantage of the comparative method
No ethical issues as nobody is involved
give a theoretical advantage of the comparative method
Reliable - as it is easy to repeat as you can just compare past statistics to those of the current time
give a practical disadvantage of the comparative method
Access - some data may be restricted behind a paywall or not public so you cannot see a clear picture.
Give an ethical disadvantage of the comparative method
there aren’t any ethical issues
Give a theoretical disadvantage of the comparative method
Validity - the statistics and the analysis of those statistics are effected by bias such as in the case of Durkheim.
