experiments

Question 1

laboratory experiments

Answer 1

favoured by positivists - tests hypothesise in a controlled environment, where the researcher changes the independent variable and measures the effect on the dependent variable

Question 1

laboratory experiments - advantages

Answer 1

• highly reliable: the original experiment can specify precisely what steps were followed in the original experiments
• can easily identify cause and effect relationships

Question 2

laboratory experiments - disadvantages

Answer 2

• artificiality: lab experiments are carried out in a highly artificial environment and may not reveal how people act in the real world, any behaviour in these conditions may be artificial
• the Hawthorne effect: a lab is not a formal or natural environment - if people know they are being studied, they may act differently
• ethical issues: the researcher needs informed consent of the participants - this may be difficult to obtain
• unrepresentative: the small-scale nature of lab experiments reduces their representativeness
• it would be impossible to identify and/or control all the variables that might exert an influence on certain social issues (e.g: a child’s education)

Question 3

field experiments

Answer 3

take place in the real social world, whereby the sociologist either creates a situation or adapts a real-life situation to their research purpose. those involved are usually unaware of the research taking place

Question 4

field experiments - advantages

Answer 4

• less artificiality: field experiments are set in real-world situations
• validity: people are unaware of the experimental situation (no Hawthorne effect) and are in their usual social environment, they will act normally

Question 5

field experiments - disadvantages

Answer 5

• ethical issues: involves carrying out an experiment on people without their informed consent
• less control over variables
• limited application - field experiments can only be applied to a limited number of social situations