research methods - experiments Flashcards
(6 cards)
1
Q
laboratory experiments
A
favoured by positivists, test hypothesise in a controlled environment where the researcher changes the independent variable and measures the effect on the dependent variable.
2
Q
advantages of laboratory experiments
A
- highly reliable
- easy to identify cause and effect relationships
3
Q
disadvantages of laboratory experiments
A
- artificiality
- hawthorne effect
- difficult to gain informed consent
- unrepresentative
- impossible to control all variables that may influence participants
4
Q
field experiments
A
take place in the real social world, where the sociologist either creates a situation or adapts to their research purpose.
5
Q
advantages of field experiments
A
- less artificial
- high validity
6
Q
A
