Sociology-Research Methods-Experiments

Laboratory Experiments

Testing in controlled conditions and in an artificial setting to establish cause and effect relationships between two or more variables

Experiential and Control Groups (Lab experiments)

Experiential Group-conditions change-manipulate variables e.g diff amounts and types of breakfast

Control Group-Conditions stay the same-e.g same amount and type of breakfast

Compare both groups to investigate effect of variables

Diff types of variables (Lab experiments)

Independent Variable-what is changed-e.g amount of breakfast or type

Dependent Variable-what we measure-e.g concentration levels

Extraneous Variable-things affecting results(DV)-e.g sleep, visibility, hydration, nutrition

Lab Experiment Reliability

Original creator must be able to specify exactly how research was carried out-must be replicable

Detached (objective method)-scientists thoughts and feelings have no effect on the outcome

Practical Problems (Lab experiments)

Impossible to control all variables-e.g all influences on a childs educational achievement

Cannot be used to study the past

Small sample size so not representative of society

Ethical Problems (Lab experiments)

Lack of informed consent-may be difficult to obtain as people may not understand purpose or nature of experiment

E.g kids are vulnerable groups

Deception-may lie to ensure behaviour is true to life

Harm-harm if they are lied to or are asked to do uncomfortable things

Lab experiments example (Milgram)

Study peoples willingness to become obedient to authority

Got actors to pretend they were being electrocuted-pressure=obedience

Not proper consent as we're deceived and had experienced psychological harm

Result-everyday people will blindly follow orders

The Hawthorne Effect (Lab experiments)

Impact the researcher can have on those they were observing

People behave differently-more desirably to receive a good impression

Positivist View on Lab Experiments

Favour lab experiments as is reliable, objective and standardised methods

It has controlled conditions-the researcher is detached-can study case and effect relationships

Interpretivist View on Lab Experiments

Prefer field-don't like lab

Can't get validity-unatural behaviour as artifical setting

Free Will

Interpretivists believe people are different from minerals and plants

Have free will and conscious choice

Behaviour doesn't rely on cause and effect, people change act based on different situations

Alternatives-Field experiments and Comparitive Method Experiments

Field Experiments

Takes place in the subjects natural environment e.g workplace or school

People usually not aware they are part of experiment - avoid hawthorne effect

Comparative Method

Carried out only in the mind-thought experiment-not involving real people

Identify two groups alike in all aspects besides one variable

Compare two groups to see if one variable makes a difference

Comparative Method Example

Durkheim-study of suicide-two groups similar but one is Catholic and one is protestant

Argued diff religions=diff integration levels

Catholics higher integration so protestants suicide rate higher

Lab Experiments Advantages

Practical:

Can control variables(artificial setting) +hired hand without personal skills needed(objective, detached, no bias)

Ethical:

Informed Consent(right to withdraw) +Anonymity/confidentiality(avoid harm to them out of experiment)

Theoretical:

Reliability(standardised testing+replicable and objective so allows comparison) +Can measure cause and effect relationships in a scientific way(quantatative data)

Lab Experiments Disadvantages

Practical:

Cannot control all variable(Extraneous variables) +costly and time consuming

Ethical:

Deceitful(unethical to gain truthful data) +harmed participants(psychological)

Theoretical:

Not representative(small scale so can’t generalise) +Not valid(hawthorne effect)

Field Experiments Advantages

Practical:

Is a natural setting+personal skills of researcher not required (can be hired hand)

Ethical:

Informed Consent(right to withdraw) +Anonymity/confidentiality

Theoretical:

Valid data(no hawthorne effect) +measure cause and effect relationships scientifically(objective)

Field Experiments Disadvantages

Practical:

Cannot control all variables(Extraneous variables)+costly and time consuming

Ethical:

Deceitful+harmful to participants(psychological)

Theoretical:

Unreliable+Not representative(small scale so cannot generalise)

Lab Experiment Example Study

Milgram-study of obedience-pretended to shock people via hired actors if answered incorrectly

Caused hyperventilation and panic attacks of participants

Results-many regular people will blindly follow orders

Lab Experiments Example Study 2

Bandura-bobo doll-two groups shown videos with two people playing with doll

Vid 1=nice play

Vid 2=violent play

Kids mimic this behaviour depending on video watched

Field Experiment Example Study

Jacobson and Rosenthal-Self Fulfilling Prophecy-went to school and identified spurters to study affect of teacher influence on students

Rosenhan-showed how easy it was to be institutionalised despite any evidence and claiming you are mentally unwell

Case study (Harvey and Slatin) (DO NOT USE IN METHODS AND CONTEXT ESSAY)

Do teachers have different expectations based on social class?

96 teachers shown 18 photos of children from diff classes

Asked to rate kids based on ability

Children are pre-judged and labelled according to social class

Lower class=less favourable treatment

Case Study (Charkin) (DO NOT USE IN METHODS AND CONTEXT ESSAY)

48 student teachers each taught a lesson to a ten year old boy

1/3 were told he was intelligent

1/3 were told he was demotivated and low IQ

1/3 were told nothing

Video taped each lesson and found those told he was higher in IQ gave him more contact and eye contact