Experiments and PET

Question 1

What are field experiments?

Answer 1

Experiments carried out in the natural setting eg a classroom. Group is usually unaware experiment is taking place - covert

Question 2

What data does field experiments collect?

Answer 2

Qualitiative data preferred by interpretivists

Question 3

Practical issues with field experiments: Access

Answer 3

Researcher needs to obtain access from the gatekeeper (headteacher). Could limit access if negative image of school created. Vulnerable groups so access harder.

Question 4

Practical issues with field experiments: Finance

Answer 4

No funding bodies required or people to be paid. Training cost?

Question 5

Practical issues with field experiments: Topic of Research

Answer 5

Depends on access to participants. Is the research method suitable for the topic being used.

Question 6

Practical issues with field experiments: Time

Answer 6

Long or short term study? How long does it take to conduct field experiment? How long does it take to analyse the data?

Question 7

Practical issues with field experiments: Researcher Skills

Answer 7

Researcher needs correct skills to be able to work alongside ad study children correctly. Correct skills to analyse and obtain correct information. Training?

Question 8

Ethical issues with field experiments: Informed consent

Answer 8

Researcher needs to obtain informed consent from parents as pupils are underage and therefore a vulnerable group.

Question 9

Ethical issues with field experiments: Anonymity

Answer 9

As children as a vulnerable group anonymity must be tainted eg changing names of children.

Question 10

Ethical issues with field experiments: Deception

Answer 10

Children and parents must know there being part of an experiment

Question 11

Ethical issues with field experiments: Participant - wellbeing

Answer 11

Researcher must make sure no physical or mental harm comes to children during research process.

Question 12

Theoretical issues with field experiments: Representative

Answer 12

Is the group of students studied representative of all students or only a small group?

Question 13

Theoretical issues with field experiments: Validity

Answer 13

Carried out in real world and natural environment to students so are more likely to measure natural everyday behaviour.

Question 14

Theoretical issues with field experiments: Hawthorne effect

Answer 14

Children may change their behaviour due to the presence of the reacher. Either act up or shy, associate researcher with authority.

Question 15

Theoretical issues with field experiments: Social desirability

Answer 15

Some students may act up to impress the researcher. Better behaviour etc which effects the results. Unlikely to behave unprofessionally.

Question 16

What are laboratory experiments

Answer 16

Experiments conducted in artificial environments

Question 17

Wha type of data do laboratory experiments collect?

Answer 17

Quantitative data proffered by positivists.

Question 18

Practical issues with lab experiments: Access

Answer 18

Access to participants may be hard, permissions from parents and gatekeeper. Vulnerable group so makes access even harder. Lots of pupils in schools easy if access granted.

Question 19

Practical issues with lab experiments: Researcher skills

Answer 19

Researcher needs correct skills to be able to conduct research in a closed environment and collect the right data to analyse. Work with children and analyse the correct behaviours.

Question 20

Practical issues with lab experiments: Cost

Answer 20

Funding bodies required for lab? Governments may restrict control. Labs and equipment extra costs

Question 21

Practical issues with lab experiments: Time

Answer 21

Long or short study? How long to analyse data?

Question 22

Practical issues with lab experiments: Researcher skills

Answer 22

Does the researcher need additional training?

Question 23

Ethical issues with lab experiments: Informed consent

Answer 23

Researcher needs to gain informed consent from participants and parents otherwise deception can occur.

Question 24

Ethical issues with lab experiments: Researcher safety

Answer 24

Researcher safety should not be an issue here as labs are controlled environments.

Question 25

Ethical issues with lab experiments: Participant well-being

Answer 25

Ensure no physical or mental hard comes to student during research process.

Question 26

Ethical issues with lab experiments: Anonymity and Confidentiality

Answer 26

Researcher must maintain anonymity of children as there vulnerable group. Must maintain confidentiality unless signs that breach safeguarding revealed.

Question 27

Theoretical issues with lab experiments: Hawthorne effect

Answer 27

Precense or researcher and artificial environment may cause pupils to change behaviours.

Question 28

Theoretical issues with lab experiments: Reliability

Answer 28

If similar study was to happen with similar groups would results be the same? Objectivity

Question 29

Theoretical issues with lab experiments: Validity

Answer 29

Validity may be undermined if pupils act differently as there in an artificial environment

Question 30

Theoretical issues with lab experiments: Representativeness

Answer 30

Does group represent students as a whole or only from one school?