Lab experiments
Practical (Advantages and Disadvantages) Ethical issues Theoretical (Advantages and Disadvantages)
Free will- Interpretivists Lab experiments can't Lack of informed consent- it may Reliability- this is a method Lack of internal validity- the
argue that humans be used to study an not be possible to gain consent which can be repeated again findings may not be true for the
have free will and open system like from certain groups e.g. to gain the same results participants in the experiment
consciousness which society, where many vulnerable students or those with because: itself let alone in the in the wider
cannot be explained variables work together a special educational need. BUT if world. This is because lab
through cause and to cause an outcome. participants agree to take part - The sociologist can experiments are artificial and
effect relationships, as This is because humans after being told the true aim and control the conditions may encourage the Hawthorne
no two humans are the interact with each nature of the experiment, this and specify the steps effect. Interpretivists argue that
same. other in complex ways. would be ethical. followed humans have free will and
A sociologist would find - It producers choice. Our behaviour is not
it impossible to identify quantitative data so caused by a single factor.
and control all the results can be
Small samples - makes variables. Harm- experiments may cause compared if The high level of control we have
it hard to study large psychological or physical harm. replicated over the experiment means it
scale phenomena e.g. This may at times be justified if the - It's detached and becomes unnatural of the real
we can't study most experiment alerts us to a social objective the world.
members form a major issue. researchers feelings
religious group. don't impact on the
results
You can't study the Hawthorne effect- if Deception- misleading participants Lack of representativeness-
past- variables in the participants know they about the aim and nature of the Positivists favour this method Positivists want to be able to
past can't be are being experimented experiment is unethical. as researchers can test make generalisations but a lab
controlled. on they may act hypotheses by isolating and experiment lacks external
differently. controlling any variable and validity. Small samples won't
then comparing a control and allow for a representative cross
experimental group. section of the population to be
studied. Findings can't be
generalised.
Practical (Advantages and Disadvantages) Ethical issues Theoretical (Advantages and Disadvantages)
Free will- Interpretivists Lab experiments can't Lack of informed consent- it may Reliability- this is a method Lack of internal validity- the
argue that humans be used to study an not be possible to gain consent which can be repeated again findings may not be true for the
have free will and open system like from certain groups e.g. to gain the same results participants in the experiment
consciousness which society, where many vulnerable students or those with because: itself let alone in the in the wider
cannot be explained variables work together a special educational need. BUT if world. This is because lab
through cause and to cause an outcome. participants agree to take part - The sociologist can experiments are artificial and
effect relationships, as This is because humans after being told the true aim and control the conditions may encourage the Hawthorne
no two humans are the interact with each nature of the experiment, this and specify the steps effect. Interpretivists argue that
same. other in complex ways. would be ethical. followed humans have free will and
A sociologist would find - It producers choice. Our behaviour is not
it impossible to identify quantitative data so caused by a single factor.
and control all the results can be
Small samples - makes variables. Harm- experiments may cause compared if The high level of control we have
it hard to study large psychological or physical harm. replicated over the experiment means it
scale phenomena e.g. This may at times be justified if the - It's detached and becomes unnatural of the real
we can't study most experiment alerts us to a social objective the world.
members form a major issue. researchers feelings
religious group. don't impact on the
results
You can't study the Hawthorne effect- if Deception- misleading participants Lack of representativeness-
past- variables in the participants know they about the aim and nature of the Positivists favour this method Positivists want to be able to
past can't be are being experimented experiment is unethical. as researchers can test make generalisations but a lab
controlled. on they may act hypotheses by isolating and experiment lacks external
differently. controlling any variable and validity. Small samples won't
then comparing a control and allow for a representative cross
experimental group. section of the population to be
studied. Findings can't be
generalised.
