1. The BIG Idea
EXPERIMENTS
Outline advantages and disadvantages to using experiments in social research.
Discover examples of experiments used in social research.
We are Learning to...
In today’s lesson...
GOOD learning …
Explain what a social experiment is, briefly outline one example, and identify one or two strengths and one or two weaknesses of using experiments..
GREAT learning …
Explain what a social experiment is, outline more than one example, and identify two or three strengths and two or three weaknesses of using experiments.
EVEN BETTER …
Give a detailed explanation of what a social experiment is, outline at least one example of both a field and a lab experiment, and identify three or more strengths and three or more weaknesses of using experiments.
Wordle 1

2. Artificial/ Laboratory Experiments:
> Generally speaking, experiments are associated with scientific (positivist research). They are however, also used within interpretivist research also. The key is that positivists & interpretivists use different types of experiments:
Artificial/ Laboratory Experiments:
Used by positivists who prefer reliable, value-free (objective), structured (formal), quantitative research methods & data.
Natural/ Field Experiments:
Used by interpretivists who prefer valid, subjective, unstructured (informal), qualitative research methods & data.

4. Artificial/ Laboratory Experiments:
> Scientific Method preferred by POSITIVISTS:
> Allows a researcher to test a hypothesis by looking for causal relationships between ‘Variables’ (Correlations) E.g. Relationship between Social Class & Education.
X + Y = Z
> They aim to uncover predictable laws of human behaviour
> Conducted in an artificial environment (a laboratory) so that all variables can be controlled. They control extraneous variable, alter the Independent Variable (IV) and monitor the effect on the Dependent Variable (DV).
> This is called the HYPOTHETICO-DEDUCTIVE METHOD (Scientific Method), which starts with a hypothesis, which is then tested.

5. Stanley Milgram (1963) Obedience Experiment
Artificial/ Laboratory Experiments:
Stanley Milgram (1963) Obedience Experiment
Inspired by Nazi War Crimes during World War II, Milgram wanted to find out if people were willing to follow orders from authority figures even when the orders were morally wrong.
His ‘Electric Shock’ experiments are a infamous example of a social experiment.
APPY ADV & DISADV

7. Advantages of Artificial / Laboratory Experiments:
Disadvantages of Artificial / Laboratory Experiments:
Remember to evaluate methods by looking at the Practical, Ethical &Theoretical limitations of the method (P.E.T)
> ‘Scientific Method’ – Prestige & Funding
> Value Free (Objective)
> Cannot Control all the Variables when dealing with Society & Individuals
> Quantifiable Data
> Volunteer Bias
> High in Reliability
> Invalidity
> Consent
> Allows for Correlations in the data to be made easily
> Cost
> Time
> Experimenter Bias
> Are People Passive?
> Uncovers Formulaic Laws of Human Behaviour
> Small Scale (Unrepresentative)
> Artificial Setting

8. Phillip Zimbardo (1961) The Stanford Prison Experiment
Artificial/ Laboratory Experiments:
Phillip Zimbardo (1961) The Stanford Prison Experiment
Zimbardo wanted to explore the darker side of human nature by seeing how far people would conform to roles given to them.
In his famous ‘Prison Experiment’ things got out when participants began to psychologically begin to abuse each other – on the second day there was a ‘prison riot’ & after 6 days the experiment was stopped.
APPY ADV & DISADV

9. Natural/ Field Experiments:
> Interpretivists argue that natural/field experiments are a better alterative.
> Do not attempt to control all of the variables (just the IVs) instead let behaviour & situations take their ‘natural course’.
> Subjects do not normally know that they are being studied and hence they should act more naturally (increasing validity). E.g.…
Rosenthal & Jacobson (1968): ‘Teacher Expectations & the Effects of Labelling’.
Rosenthal & Jacobson wanted to study the effects of labelling within the classroom. They told teachers that one group of students were ‘High Flyers’ whilst a different group were ‘Less Able’ (the groups were in fact of similar ability). Nevertheless teachers interacted with the students according to these labels & the ‘High Flyers’ achieved higher than the ‘Less Able’ group.
APPY ADV & DISADV

10. Colin Brown & Pat Gay (1985): ’Racial Discrimination Experiment’
To test the extent of racial discrimination in employment, Brown & Gay sent a white actor & a black actor to the same job interviews to see who was more likely to be offered jobs. (The actors were similar in age, gender, qualifications etc).
They also sent out application forms for jobs using the same details apart form changing the ethnicity and names of the supposed ‘applicants’. They used the surnames Evans & Patel & found that the white applicant was more likely to be offered the job in most cases.
J.W Sissons (1970): ‘The Paddington Train Station Experiment’
APPY ADV & DISADV
Sissons wanted to explore people’s perceptions on social class & set up a field experiment in Paddington Train Station. He dressed an actor as a business man & then as a labourer & asked him to ask passers by for directions – more people stopped & gave directions to the ‘businessman’.

11. Advantages of Field / Natural Experiments:
Disadvantages of Field/ Natural Experiments:
Remember to evaluate methods by looking at the Practical, Ethical &Theoretical limitations of the method (P.E.T)
> ‘Natural Environment’ creates high Validity
> Cannot control all variables
> Lessens the Hawthorne Effect
> Unreliable
> Ethics (Deceit/ Consent/ Harm)
> Small-Scale means that fewer subjects are needed
> Cannot be sure what IV created which DV
> Acknowledges differences between individuals.
> Generally Small Scale (Unrepresentative)
> Removes Volunteer Bias
> Qualitative data difficult to Quantify

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