What is a lab experiment?
A highly controlled test in an artificial setting to establsh cause and effect
KEY STUDY: Milgram (1974)
Investigated obedience to authority. Deceived participants by telling them they had to give an increasing electric shock to a fake ‘learner’ every time they got a question wrong. Participants were forced to continue even when they resisted
KEY STUDY: Mayo (1927)
Hawthorne Effect: Mayo was asked to investigate productivity at the Hawthorne Plant (factory). Changed many variables which they thought would increase or decrease productivity. Found that all changes led to an increase; concluded that the participants changed their behaviour because they knew they were being watched
What are some practical strengths of lab experiments?
- Quick, especially for small-scale research
- Cheap. Only need a lab/space to conduct the study
What are some practical weaknesses of lab experiments?
- Cannot always be used in sociology as society cannot fit into a lab
- Impossible to identify and control all variables which could affect the experiments (extraneous variables)
- Cannot be used to study the past
- Can only be used to study small samples
What are some ethical strengths of lab experiments?
- Informed consent is gained as participants do not have to take part
- Debriefs can be given after the experiment
- Supporters of Milgram argue that, even though his study was unethical, it was worth doing to find out what it takes to force a person to do something
What are some ethical weaknesses of lab experiments?
- Lack of informed consent, if deception is involved
- Could cause harm and distress to participants
- Could rely on deception
What are some theoretical strengths of lab experiments?
- Positivists like them as they are reliable, thanks to being highly controlled and gaining quantiative data
- Can be repeated on different participants to increase representativeness
- Objectivity; standardised, so little chance for the researcher to influence the study
What are some theoretical weaknesses of lab experiments?
- Interpretivists dislike them as verstehen cannot be gained, and they are low in validity (they only find out what happens, not why)
- Hawthorne effect can take place
- Lacks ecological validity as it is an articial setting
- Expectancy effect; participants may do what they think the researcher wants them to do, reducing validity
