Experiments

• Experiments


  Three types of experiments:

  • Laboratory
  • Field
  • Comparative method

  Used to discover laws and human behaviour
• Reliability

  • Highly reliable as they produce same results every time
  • The scientists' personal feelings have no effect on the conduct or the outcome of the experiment
  • Identifies cause and effect relationships in the natural sciences
• Practical considerations

  • Impossible to identify and control all variables of the experiment that may hold influence
  • Cannot be used to study the past
  • Small scale nature of laboratory experiments reduces representativeness
• Ethical considerations

  • Difficult to gain informed consent from groups such as children and vulnerable groups
  • Immoral to mislead people about the nature of the experiment e.g. Milgram
  • Can cause harm to participants
• The Hawthorne effect

  • Laboratories are artificial environments
  • Scientists knew they were being studied and changed their behaviour to please the researcher.
• Two alternative experiments


  Field experiments:

  • Takes place in natural surroundings
  • Those involved were not aware of the study (Rosenthal and Jacobson - Fake IQ test on teachers)

  The comparative method:

  • Experiment takes place inside the researchers mind (Durkheim - causes for suicide)
  • No other people are involved
  • Poses no ethical problems
• In context with education

  Researchers will use experiments to test:

  • Teacher expectations
  • Classroom interaction
  • Labelling
  • Pupil self concept