Experiments

• Experiments

  • Researcher looks to manipulate independent variable to see if it will cause a change in dependent variable (causes a change in behaviour)
  • Uses factors that can be measured, manipulated and quantified
• Lab experiments

  All variables apart from the independent variable are controlled > measure effects of independent variable on dependent variable > establishing cause and effect relationships

  • positivists argue it's possible to create similar research situation to a scientific lab, in a controlled environment where all variables can be monitored
• Two groups in an experiment:

  • Experimental group (independent variable) = group who have something changed
  • Control group (dependent variable) group who stay the same
  • Leads to cause and effect relationship being established, used to prevent/predict future events
• Example of Lab experiment: Bandura


  Conducted lab research investigating effects on children of watching violent media, providing conclusive results

  • showed children a film of a man hitting a doll >children were led into different rooms where they're told different messages about the man's behaviour > children introduced to doll
  • children had neither been told the behaviour was good or bad, they displayed more aggression to the doll
• Strengths of lab experiments

  • Researcher has control over the experiment, allows effects to be precisely measured
  • Receive quantitative data and replicate research
  • Allows researchers to eliminate effects of extraneous variables - undesirable variables which are not of interest might interfere with results of experiment
• Example of lab experiment: Milgram


  Interested in researching how far people would go in obeying an instruction if it involved harming another person

  • Learner - strapped to an electric chair, teacher tests by naming a word, learner recalls (aware it's an experiment)
  • Teacher - administers electric shock every time learner makes mistake, increases level each time (unaware that electric shocks were fake)
  • People tend to take orders if they recognise their authority as morally right, likely to follow orders even to extent of killing
• Stanford prison experiment, Zimbardo


  Examine whether people would conform to social roles of prison guard/prisoner when in a mock prison environment

  • all male uni students who volunteered and were selected on the basis of their physical and mental stability
  • both guards and prisoners quickly identified with social roles - guards were violent and dehumanizing and prisoners become increasingly submissive
  • experiment meant to run for 2 weeks but stopped due to extreme mental torment
• Field experiments - interpretivists


  Take place in real social setting, those involved often unaware
• Example of field experiment, Rosenthal and Jacobson


  Wanted to find out effects of labelling in classroom

  • Students given test, teacher said 20% of random students were going to 'spurt' the following year
  • Teachers' expectations (independent variable) increased for 20%
  • Students re-did test, 20% randomly picked spurted
• Strengths of field experiments

  • Real life setting, better external validity, can show hidden meanings of everyday social interactions
  • Large scale settings
• Weaknesses of field experiments

  • Not possible to control variables comapred to lab
  • If people know they're being studied they may change their behaviour accordingly (Hawthorne Effect)
  • Subjects aren't aware they're taking part, no consent
• Disadvantages of Rosenthal and Jacobson experiment

  • Lack of informed consent, had to deceive teachers so they didn't know
  • 80% of group didn't benefit, teacher gave disproportionate amounts of attention to 20%
  • Not possible to rule out role of extraneous variables, didn't conduct observations of teacher expectations leading to higher achievement
• Criticisms of Bandura's experiment

  • Lack's validity - strange situation exposed to unusual adult behaviour and given toys to play with, encouraged them to act unnaturally
  • Children may have been distressed by aggressive behaviour, behaviour learned may have stayed with them, causes behavioural problems
• Disadvantages with Milgram's experiment

  • Lacks validity - tested obedience in a lab, different to real-life situations of obedience, can't generalise findings to real life situations of obedience
  • Deceiving was necessary however it caused emotional distress to those unware, lack of informed consent
• Disadvantages of Zimbardo's study

  • Many participants were mentally distressed and immediate action wasn't taken, lack of informed consent
  • Lacks validity - student guards lacked professional training, unable to compare to a real prison setting