Explain why experimentation is not a common tool in sociology.

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Explain why experimentation is not a common tool in sociology.

The experimental situation is highly controlled so that the factors, which contaminate the experiment, are eliminated. The method of experimenting is seen by many as the classic method of research and the best way for scientists to test theories and hypotheses. But is experimentation a common tool in sociology? Many have argued that this is not the case, mainly due to the fact that variables are uncontrollable outside of the laboratory. In a laboratory variables can be kept constant, but as a sociologist it is a different story.

Experimenting techniques are used more by psychologists. Sociologists are more likely to want to use other methods and many reject experiments and the scientific approach totally. This is because it is hard to apply the experimental method to the study of social phenomena. People act in terms of their definitions of situations; so many sociologists have major doubts about applying experiments to human beings.

There are practical problems of using experiments in sociology. Social factors such as class are not very easy to analyse, whereas physical factors are easier. It is known that people do not behave normally in artificial environments, as shown by the Hawthorne experiment. The results of experiments can therefore be harmed if people know they are in the presence of a researcher while being studied. Another practical problem is that of the experimenter - experimenters have different personal characteristics for example and people might act differently according to the experimenter.

As the experiments involve people, it is impossible to control all variables, which could affect results. For example, outside a laboratory, variables such as wind strength and temperature cannot be controlled. A problem that also arises is that of experimental groups and control groups. It is difficult to find many that are alike in every way even when sampling techniques are used.
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Experimenter bias can play a major part in the results of studies. People act in terms of how they perceive others, for example they will differently if the experimenter is young or old, male or female, etc. How others expect people to act also affects the way people act. Experimenter bias is the term used to describe a situation where there is an unintended effect of the experimenter on the people being studied.

As well as practical problems involved in experiments there are ethical questions that must be raised. Firstly, how can you force people to ...

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