Experiments

Experiments

1. Experiments let you find cause and effect

   • 1) Experiements are used by natural scientists, biologists chemists etc.
     • 2) The researcher starts with a hypothesis and they use the experiement to test it out
       • 3) All variables are kept cobststant, apart from the one you're intrested in, the indoendat variable. Scienetits chnage the indoenedat varibale and observe the ffects on the dependnat variable. If you were testing the effects of tempreature on electrical resistance, temprature would be the indoeendant variable which you control and elctrial reistance would be the dependant variable which you measure.
         • 4) The results are turned into numbers, the scientits looks for patterns and cause and effect relationships.
           • 5) This method has been developed and used by social scientits to look for social cause and effects.

2. There are two kinds of experiment

   • Lab experiments
     • These are done in a controlled enviroment. The researcher changes the independat variable, and observes the ffect on the depend varibale. The resaercher usually uses a control group, which is left alone to se what happens if ypu don't do anything to the indeoenat variable. This method is often used by psychologists.
   • Field experiments
     • This is a response to crisiticisms of lab experiements. They take place outside of the lab in real social settings, and those involved are often unaware. This method is used by interpetivists sociologists.

3. Stregths of lab experiments

   • 1) The reasercher has control over the experiment.
     • 2) You get quanative data
       • 3) You can replaicate the researcher
   • Lmittaions of lab experiements
     • 1) It's hard to repodcue real socil situations in a lab, lab eperiements are artifical.
       • 2) It is difficult to isolate single variables. Social behaviour is influenced by many factors.
         • 3) There are often moral and ehtical issues in lab experminemts.
           • 4) People may feel intimidated or act differently in the lab

4. Strenegths of field experiements

   • 1) They're done in nautrual social settings and are more like real life
     • 2) They can show the hidden meanings of everyday social interaction
       • Limitiations of field experiements
         • 1) You can't control the variables like you can in lab experiements
           • 2) If people know they're being studied they may change their behaviour
             • 3) There's an ethical problem in carrying out exeperiments when the subjects aren't aware that they are taking part in an experiement.

5. When people know they're being stuidied, they sometimes act differently

   • 1) When people are more intrested in soemthing, they try harder. They may try harder at what thy're doing because they know they're being observed and want to appear ina good light. This is called the Hawtheorne effect.
     • 2) People usually have an idea of what kind of response the researcchers want. People often either give the researchers the response they thing they want or the eaxct opposite, depending on whether they want to please the reshearchers or whether they want to be stubborn
       • 3) These effects mean data from experiements may not be valid,