Lab, Field and Thought Experiments

Milgram - Lab

Milgram conducted a lab experiment in which participants were instructed by an authority figure to deliver what they believed were increasingly painful electric shocks to another person for incorrect answers. The study found that many participants obeyed the authority figure despite apparent distress, demonstrating the powerful influence of authority on human behaviour.

Harvey and Slatin - Lab

Harvey and Slatin studied obedience in a school setting by observing how children responded to instructions from a teacher or authority figure, even when those instructions went against their own preferences. They found that many children were likely to obey authority, showing that obedience to perceived legitimate authority figures begins at a young age.

Rosenthal and Jacobson - Field

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Rosenthal and Jacobson conducted a field experiment in a school where teachers were told certain students were “intellectual bloomers,” even though they were randomly selected. The study found that these students showed greater academic improvement, demonstrating how teacher expectations can influence student performance.

Mayo - Field

The Hawthorne Effect

Mayo conducted field experiments at the Hawthorne Works to examine how workplace conditions affected productivity. He found that productivity increased not just due to physical changes but because workers felt observed and valued, a phenomenon known as the Hawthorne Effect.

Garfinkel - Field

Garfinkel conducted field experiments by asking participants to deliberately break everyday social norms, such as behaving like a stranger in their own home. He found that this caused confusion and discomfort, showing how social order depends on shared, taken-for-granted rules.

Francis Et Al. - Thought

Francis et al. used the English Baccalaureate as a thought experiment to explore how policy can shape students’ subject choices and identities. They argued that the EBacc promotes a narrow definition of “academic” success, influencing how schools, teachers, and students value different subjects.