Experiments

Experiments

1. Laboratory

   • Advantages
     • Primary research collected by the researcher, so it's more reliable
     • Data is quantitative therefore correlations can be made and it can be analysed into graphs/charts
     • It's carried out in a controlled environment, so the variables can be controlled and the method is more replicable.
     • Preferred by Positivists as it's the scientific method and they believe that sociology is a science. It also gives them prestige as they can wear a lab coat
   • Disadvantages
     • It's not the best method as people have free will therefore Interpretivists don't really like the method
       • No qualitative data is generated therefore the data lacks depth and validity
     • The Hawthorne Effect will show as the participants will know they're being watched so they will want to be the "good participants"
     • Unethical. Zimbardo and milgram
       • Zimbardo (1961) The Prison Experiment
         • Wanted to set up an experiment into conformity and see how participants conformed to roles
         • Participants were divided into two roles: prisoner or a guard
         • They were sent to a fake prison. Those in the role of a guard immediately became more powerful.
         • The guards became violent, very physical and abusive with the language
         • The experiment only lasted 6 days. Zimbardo was watching and thought that it was brilliant. This means that he got too involved in the research and didn't see how bad the experiment got
         • The participants psychologically abused each other
         • Limitations of Zimbardo's experiment
           • By the day 3 the participants goot so involved they din't feel like participants so they din't know they could withdraw
           • The participants were caused massive distress
           • The participants were deceived as they weren't told what the experiment was about
           • They were safety issues that weren't noticed as Zimbardo got too colose to the research
     • Usually generates a small sample so it's unrepresentative and you can't make any generalisations
     • It's an expensive method of carrying out research as it takes a lot of time and the variables have to be controlled

2. Field

   • Advantages
     • Costs less than the lab experiment as you don't need trained staff
     • Removes volunteer bias- the people who have certain views to argue or a lot of spare time (elderly)
     • It's less artificial than the lab experiment as it's carried out in a natural setting
     • Interpretivists prefer this method as this methods generates qualitative data so, it's higher in validity
     • Primary research collected by the researcher so it's more reliable
     • Large sample size therefore the sample is more representative and generalisations can be made
     • No Hawthorne effect
   • Disadvantages
     • Not replicable as you can't control the extraneous variables e.g. weather
     • It's unethical as no informed consent is given to the participants
     • Smaller sample than in the postal questionnaire
     • More expensive than a questionnaire
     • Harder to quantify the results therefore there will be no statistical anylysis and the Positivists won't like it
     • The researcher can't be sure what independent variable created the dependent variable
     • Researcher bias