1.3.2

Experiments

Test yourself

Experiments

Experiments are the primary means of conducting research in the natural sciences.

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Experiments

  • Experiments are used to test a hypothesis (a testable statement/an educated assertion that we do not know is true).
  • Experiments are seldom used in sociology by either positivists or interpretivists.
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Types of experiments

  • Laboratory experiments control variables and, as such, are usually conducted in artificial environments.
  • Field experiments are conducted in real-world settings, but variables remain tightly controlled.
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Strengths of experiments

  • The hypothesis can be tested in a controlled environment.
  • It is easy to isolate and manipulate variables to identify the causes of events (except in field experiments).
  • High reliability.
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Strengths cont.

  • Experiments allow for comparisons to be made with other experimental research.
  • The researcher is seen as a detached, objective observer which is considered to be more scientific.
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Field experiments

  • Field experiments are conducted in real-world environments and are therefore considered to be high in validity.
  • Field experiments are seen by interpretivists as producing more valid information.

Experiments & the Comparative Method

The experimental method has several weaknesses, making it inappropriate for some research projects. The Comparative method can be an option in these cases.

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Weaknesses of experiments

  • It’s difficult to isolate a single cause of a social issue.
  • There are ethical problems, in that the researcher needs to treat one group of participants differently to another, raising the possibility of negative consequences on one group.
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Weaknesses cont.

  • Experiments often involve deception, where the researcher isn’t honest with the participants about certain aspects of the experiment, this makes it difficult to obtain informed consent.
  • Experiments are often only practical in small-scale settings, which may be unrepresentative.
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Weaknesses part 3

  • Conditions are often artificial so they cannot always be applied to real-world settings.
  • The risk of the Hawthorne effect can undermine validity.
  • In field experiments, researchers can’t control all variables, making it difficult to establish cause and effect.
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The comparative method

  • The comparative method retains the main principles of the experiment but collects data on different societies or social groups and then compares them with another society or group.

Jump to other topics

1Theory & Methods

1.1Sociological Theories

1.1.1Marxism

1.1.2Feminism

1.1.3Social Action Theories

1.2Sociological Methods

1.2.1Types of Data

1.2.2Positivism & Interpretivism

1.2.3Research Design

1.2.4Research Considerations

1.2.5Values in Research

1.2.6Modernity & Post-Modernity

1.2.7Sociology as a Science

1.2.8Sociology & Social Policy

1.2.9End of Topic Test - Sociology Methods & Theories

1.3Sources of Data

1.3.1Introduction

1.3.2Experiments

1.3.3Surveys

1.3.4Longitudinal Studies

1.3.5Questionnaires

1.3.6Types of Questionnaires

1.3.7Interviews

1.3.8Observation

1.3.9Case Studies

1.3.10Documents

1.3.11Official Statistics

1.3.12End of Topic Test - Sources of Data

2Education with Methods in Context

2.1Role & Function of the Education System

2.1.1Introduction

2.1.2Functionalist Theories

2.1.3Marxist & Feminist Theories

2.1.4The New Right

2.2Educational Achievement

2.2.1Social Class: Internal Factors

2.2.2Social Class: External Factors

2.2.3Social Class: Attitudes to Education

2.2.4Social Class: Difference in Achievement

2.2.5Gender

2.2.6Ethnicity

2.3Relationships & Processes Within Schools

2.3.1Processes

2.3.2Labelling

2.3.3Categorisations

2.3.4Student Experience

2.3.5End of Topic Test -Education with Methods

2.4Educational Policies

2.4.1Equality

2.4.2Privatisation

2.4.3Marketisation

2.4.4Government Policies by Party

2.4.5Globalisation

2.4.6End of Topic Test- Educational Policies

2.4.7Practice Exam Question - Social Policies

3Option 1: Culture & Identity

3.1Conceptions of Culture

3.1.1Culture

3.1.2Mass Culture

3.1.3Popular Culture

3.1.4Global Culture

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Culture and Identity

3.2Identity & Socialisation

3.2.1Identities

3.2.2Socialisation

3.2.3Secondary Socialisation

3.2.4Theories of Socialisation

3.2.5End of Topic Test - Identity

3.2.6Practice Exam Question - Socialisation & Equality

3.3Social Identity

3.3.1Social Class

3.3.2Upper & Middle Class

3.3.3Working & Underclass

3.3.4Social Class Evaluation

3.3.5Gender

3.3.6Changing Gender Identities

3.3.7Ethnicity

3.3.8Age

3.3.9Disability

3.3.10Nationality

3.3.11End of Topic Test - Social Identity

3.4Production, Consumption & Globalisation

3.4.1Production & Consumption

3.4.2Globalisation

3.4.3Evaluation

3.4.4End of Topic Test - Production

4Option 1: Families & Households

4.1Families & Households

4.1.1Definitions

4.1.2Functionalist & New Right Perspectives

4.1.3Marxist & Feminist Perspectives

4.1.4Postmodernist Perspective

4.1.5End of Topic Test - Families & Households

4.1.6Practice Exam Question - Function of Family

4.2Changing Patterns

4.2.1Marriage

4.2.2Divorce

4.2.3LAT Relationships

4.2.4Child-Bearing

4.2.5Lone Parenthood

4.2.6Diversity

4.2.7The Sociology of Personal Life

4.2.8Government Policies Post-WW2

4.2.9End of Topic Test - Changing Patterns

4.3The Symmetrical Family

4.3.1The Symmetrical Family

4.3.2Evaluation

4.4Children & Childhood

4.4.1Childhood

4.4.2Childhood in the UK

4.4.3Childhood as a Social Construct

4.4.4The Disappearance of Childhood

4.4.5Child Abuse

4.4.6Domestic Violence

4.4.7End of Topic Test - Family & Childhood

4.5Demographic Trends UK

4.5.1Introduction

4.5.2Birth Rates

4.5.3Death Rates

4.5.4The Ageing Population

4.5.5Studies on the Ageing Population

4.5.6Migration

4.5.7Globalisation

4.5.8End of Topic Test - Demographics UK

5Option 1: Health

5.1Social Constructions

5.1.1The Body

5.1.2Health, Illness & Disease

5.1.3Disability

5.1.4Models of Health & Illness

5.1.5End of Topic Test - Social Constructions

5.2Social Distribution of Healthcare

5.2.1Social Class

5.2.2Gender

5.2.3Ethnicity

5.2.4Regional

5.3Provision & Access to Healthcare

5.3.1The NHS

5.3.2Inequalities in Provision

5.3.3Sociological Explanations

5.3.4Inequalities in Access

5.3.5Inequalities in Access 2

5.3.6End of Topic Test - Distribution Health

5.4Mental Health

5.4.1The Biomedical Approach

5.4.2Social Patterns

5.4.3Social Constructionist Approach

5.5The Globalised Health Industry

5.5.1The Functionalist Approach

5.5.2The Postmodernist Approach

5.5.3The Globalised Health Industry

5.5.4End of Topic Test - Mental Health & Globalisation

6Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare

6.1Poverty & Wealth

6.1.1Types of Poverty

6.1.2Types of Poverty 2

6.1.3Distribution of Wealth UK

6.1.4Sociological Theories

6.1.5Sociological Theories 2

6.1.6Distribution of Poverty UK

6.1.7End of Topic Test - Poverty & Wealth

6.2Welfare

6.2.1The Welfare State

6.2.2Theoretical Approaches to Welfare

6.3Labour Process

6.3.1Nature of Work

6.3.2Technology & Control

6.3.3Work & Life

6.3.4The Effects of Globalisation

6.3.5Globalisation & Worklessness

6.3.6End of Topic Test - Welfare & Labour

7Option 2: Beliefs in Society

7.1Ideology, Science & Religion

7.1.1Types of Religion

7.1.2Ideology & Belief Systems

7.1.3Social Stability & Religion

7.1.4Social Change & Religion

7.1.5End of Topic Test - Ideology, Science & Religion

7.2Religious Movements

7.2.1Religious Organisations

7.2.2New Religious Movements

7.2.3New Age Movements

7.2.4Practice Exam Question - Growth of NRMs

7.3Society & Religion

7.3.1Social Groups & Religion

7.3.2Gender & Religion

7.3.3End of Topic Test- Religious Movements & Society

7.4Contemporary Religion

7.4.1Secularisation UK

7.4.2Against Secularisation

7.4.3Secularisation US

7.4.4Fundamentalism

7.4.5Economic Development & Religion

7.4.6End of Topic - Contemporary Religion

8Option 2: Global Development

8.1Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality

8.1.1Development

8.1.2Underdevelopment & Global Inequality

8.2Globalisation & Global Organisations

8.2.1Globalisation

8.2.2Transnational Corporations & International Agency

8.2.3Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

8.3Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation

8.3.1Development: Aid & Trade

8.3.2Development: Industrialisation & Urbanisation

8.3.3Development: Environment & War

9Option 2: The Media

9.1Contemporary Media

9.1.1New Media

9.1.2Control of the Media

9.1.3Sociological Approaches: New Media

9.1.4Globalisation

9.1.5News Selection

9.1.6Moral Panics

9.1.7End of Topic Test - Contemporary Media

9.2Media Representations

9.2.1Age

9.2.2Social Class & Ethnicity

9.2.3Gender

9.2.4Sexuality & Disability

9.2.5Practice Exam Questions - Presentation of Women

9.3Audiences

9.3.1Media Theories

9.3.2Media Theories 2

9.3.3Media Representations & Audiences

10Crime & Deviance

10.1Crime & Society

10.1.1Functionalism

10.1.2Subcultural Theory

10.1.3Marxism

10.1.4Realism

10.1.5Other Approaches

10.1.6End of Topic Test - Crime & Society

10.1.7Practice Exam Questions - Social Construction

10.2Social Distribution of Crime

10.2.1Ethnicity

10.2.2Gender

10.2.3Globalisation & Crime

10.2.4Media & Crime

10.2.5Types of Crimes

10.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Distribution of Crime

10.3Prevention & Punishment

10.3.1Surveillance

10.3.2Prevention

10.3.3Punishment

10.3.4Victimology

10.3.5End of Topic Test - Prevention & Punishment

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