...Examine the reasons why some sociologists choose not to use experiments when conducting research. 20 Scientists set out to discover scientific laws of cause and effect. The method favoured by natural scientists for discovering these laws is the laboratory experiments take place in labs are considered more artificial. In this essay I will conclude the reasons why experiments are not used to evaluate research. In addition the field and the comparative method will also be outlined as wells as their strengths and limitations which is used by sociologists in their research. Field experiments takes place in real social world. positivist sociologists use laboratory experiments as they favour a more scientific method. Positivist sociologists however also acknowledge the short comings of laboratory experiments, such as, it is often impossible or unethical to control the variables. Also their small scale means that results may not be representative or generalisable to the wider population. On the other hand interpretivists reject the laboratory experiments because it fails to achieve their main goal of validity. It is an artificial environment producing unnatural behaviour. There are various practical problems with laboratory experiments. Society is VERYhttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png complex and in practice it would be impossible to control variables that may influence a situation. Therefore although the ability to control variables in laboratory conditions...
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...Examine the reasons why some sociologists choose to use experiments when conducting research. Study the reason why sociologist prefer to use experimental methods when carrying out a research There are many different types of experiments that can be conducted by sociologist, in order to help with the research that they are planning to carry out or just to help further prove their hypothesis. There are three main experimental methods that sociologists may choose to carry out their research/study. These three experimental methods are: Natural, field and Comparative. Each of these experiments has their own advantages and disadvantages. These positive and negative factors can analysed by practical, ethical and theoretical limitations and strengths that can be considered. This essay will be looking at each of these in detail. But, firstly what is an experiment? An experiment is a way of investigation a cause and effect relationship between independent variable and dependent variable. The first type of experiment that sociologist may choose to use in their research is, laboratory experiment. Laboratory experiments are conducted in a control setting, (this means that IV (The independent variable) and DV (dependent variable) can be controlled and manipulated by the researcher). Participant are given instruction to carry out certain tasks, in a normally manner. From this, the researchers are able to observe behaviour and be able to see cause and affect relationship between variables...
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...Project Design Plan Double A alkaline batteries are used in many electronic devices today. Alkaline batteries produce electricity from the chemical reaction between zinc and manganese dioxide. There are many different manufactures of Double A batteries all claiming that their batteries last longer. Literature Review There are many different uses for Double A batteries and all battery manufactures want their batteries to be the longest lasting. There have been many tests done by the manufacturers of batteries and independent companies. The Power Stream Company tested the discharge rate of different batteries. They used the CBA II Battery Analyzer to test the discharge rate of each battery. The batteries they tested were Radio Shack Enercell Plus, Duracell Coppertop, Energizer Titanium, Energizer Max, Eveready Gold, Energizer Lithium and the Power Stream 2000 mAH Rechargeable. The Radio Shack Enercell and the Duracell Copper top were the two best batteries. The Radio Shack Enercell was best at a high discharge rate and the Duracell Copper Top was best at a very low discharge rate. The Bit Box Company tested over forty different brands of batteries. They used their own engineered constant load testing device. That was connected to a laptop computer which would graph the results of the test. It could test several batteries at one time. They used batteries from name brand manufacturers to discount store brands. The graph below shows the results of...
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...priority in a causal relationship (cause precedes effect) There is consistency in a causal relationship (a cause will always lead to the same effect) The magnitude of the correlation is great. (Reference: en.wikipedia.org) The word experimental research has a range of definitions. In the strict sense, experimental research is what we call a true experiment. This is an experiment where the researcher manipulates one variable, and control/randomizes the rest of the variables. It has a control group, the subjects have been randomly assigned between the groups, and the researcher only tests one effect at a time. It is also important to know what variable(s) you want to test and measure. A very wide definition of experimental research, or a quasi experiment, is research where the scientist actively influences something to observe the consequences. Most experiments tend to fall in between the strict and the wide definition. A rule of thumb is that physical sciences, such as physics, chemistry and geology tend to define experiments more narrowly than social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, which conduct experiments closer to the wider...
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...Are laboratory experiments useful? Laboratory experiments are easy to replicate and help to find how the Cause and effect of relationships can be established. Laboratory methods usually have High levels of control over extraneous variables. One of the major strengths of laboratory experiments is, control. The more variables you have control over, the easier it becomes to draw conclusions about the effect of the individual variable on the dependent variable. Laboratory experiments allow for high levels of control which are evident in the study of Bandura, Ross ands Ross (1961), for example, the way that the model produced exactly the same behavior for each child and the fact that each child was observed in the same room with the same toys. Although laboratory experiments have advantages they also have disadvantages just like any other research method it is never 100% Accurate. The high level of control usually means that you have created an artificial situation which makes it difficult to apply your results to everyday life. This is referred to as low ecological validity and is discussed further below. Participants know that they are taking part in a laboratory experiment and this will affect their behavior in a number of ways. They will be looking for clues as to how to behave (demand characteristics) and they will usually want to help the experimenters by giving them the results that they think they want. Demand characteristics may have had a major affect on the results...
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...Experimental Experiment In this short report I will be utilizing the scientific method to help solve problems that I have been having with my mode of transportation. I will be starting with a question and moving through the method to produce an experiment that I will conduct on my Honda CBR 600RR to attempt to fix a coolant leak. I have already started my process of elimination by checking, testing, and replacing key components of the coolant system the runs through the front end of my motorcycle. Some of the things I have tried is pulling out the radiator to check if there has been any damage done due to weather or rock chipping from high speed travel, after that proved not to be the problem I started going down the line. The question I imposed when first starting was “Why and where is this coolant leak and how can I fix it?” My hypothesis this time around is that maybe the coolant reservoir is compromised from overheating, damage or old age. So first I must do some research and find a new reservoir to put into my motorcycle, after removing the reservoir I was able to find a part number that I could give to Honda Motor Sports in order to find a fitting part. Now to design and conduct the experiment, this will require a specific set of tools, some spare parts and 4 hours of time. First I will follow a method that is used as part of a lean production system call PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act), this is a check list I use to help me solve various problems I have had and will...
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...Introduction Surveys and experiments can prove to be an extremely valuable tool that organizations can use to gain pertinent information. In order to effectively utilize these tools firms must pay careful attention to the design, methodology, and ethical issues of the experiment chosen. Among these issues are variables in conducting experiments with human subjects, design elements affecting the accuracy of the experiment, and questions of methodology. The information below addresses each of these concerns and describes how experiments can become a valuable tool for organizations to plan for the future. Question 9.4 – Ethical Problems in Conducting Experiments with Human Subjects After choosing the experimental design, the researcher must then select and assign participants for the study. According to Cooper and Schindler (2014), participants selected for an experiment should be members of the population in which the researcher wishes to make interpretations about. When choosing to conduct experiments with humans as the main subjects, researchers should be aware of various ethical concerns that may arise. When ethical problems are debated in the research design process, most people often think first about defending the rights of the participant. Whether observations are taken from an interview, survey, or an experiment, the participant has many rights that need to be protected during the research process. As discussed in the text, research must be designed in a way...
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...The Minnesota Experiment on Starvation As World War II waged on around the world, millions of people all across Europe went without food; many on the brink of starvation. Either the hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children targeted for extermination due to purely race; or the brave soldiers dedicating their lives for the righteous cause of freeing them. In the center of the fight, rations were tough to come by for soldiers and even harder for refugees and prisoners. As the people fled Europe and the soldiers returned home to the states, the malnutrition and state of starvation was apparent. The demand was at an all time high for the fastest, most effective way to nurse millions back to health. Dr. Ancel Keys, who ran the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene at the University of Minnesota; took note of the epidemic and was eager to help. Keys’ in depth interest in nutrition and already being well regarded for developing the combat rations carried by American troops- wanted to help find a solution. Keys idea in mind was to perform a yearlong starvation study divided into three parts: a pre experiment; three month period, where the food intake of the participants would be monitored and regulated at normal levels. Then followed by a six month starvation period with strictly controlled food portions kept at a bare minimum. Finally followed by the last three crucial months of re-introducing food at different levels to determine the best method. Keys knew finding men to...
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... There is a noticeable drop in not only distance but also torque when temperatures drop below 15 degrees Celsius. The following experiment will address the issue of temperature variation and the effect it has on the speed and distance travelled of an electric Rickshaw. The results of this study can be used in the design of electric battery storage and insulation. Literature Review There are numerous tips to improve electric vehicle performance, namely altering the way the vehicle is used. There is little language in the way of battery insulation, which will be the method used in this experiment. Of note, SAE International (2011) concluded that tested energy consumption varies based on driving ability and duties performed by the vehicle, such as heating and advanced audio systems. Electric vehicle performance is dictated not just by temperature, but deteriorates substantially based off of nonessential features. Official reports on the charging and battery efficiency of the EV during the test period to present a total plug-to-wheel EV efficiency when operated over both regulated and real world drive cycles (Cenex 2012). For this experiment, the vehicle will be operated under normal conditions, then the temperature of the battery will be altered using towels and a rubber water bottle. The vehicle to be used during the experiments provides basic...
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...concentration camps suffered cruel and immoral treatment. The series of medical experiments took place in the early 1940’s; during WWII and the Holocaust. In these experiments patients suffered indescribable pain. Typically the experiments resulted in death, trauma, disfiguration and permanent disability. There was as, many as thirty different kinds of tests including: the freezing, the high altitude and the hemorrhage experiments. The Nazi physicians did not care about the patients undergoing tests, they only cared about getting new information to improve the German military. Consent was never given for any of the patients, all patients were forced into doing the inhumane tests created by the Nazis’s....
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...on paper towels” (Wilbert, 2003). The reason why Americans prefer paper towels than cloth towels is because they can be thrown away, unfortunately “sending 3000 tons of paper towels to landfills each day” (Wilbert, 2003). Imagine how many trees were cut down to meet consumer needs. According to the Business and the Environment, “270,000,000 trees are flushed down or thrown into the garbage” (2006). As a teacher, I want to teach my students to be more eco-friendly and to save money. Students have a tendency to overuse paper towels and waste not only money spent on paper towels, but also trees that were cut down to make paper towels. I want to show them how much paper towels they really need by doing an experiment of which paper towel absorbs water the most. Also, this experiment will show them that the most absorbent paper towel will hold enough water without over using it in a minor spill. Hypothesis: Bounty paper towels will absorb more volume of water, then other brands of paper towels in a time frame on one minute. Variables: Independent Variable: Three different types of 27.9x22.3 cm paper towel sheets will be tested Dependent Variable: Experimental Design 3 Measure 100 ml of water absorbed in paper towel for 1 minute Controlled Variables: Amount of time that each paper towel will be placed in the water Amount of water put on each paper towel Controlled how I measured the water...
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...Discussion: This lab experiment consisted in locating the metacentric point in order to test the buoyancy stability of a lab pontoon under certain circumstances. The metacenter is the point of intersection of the buoyant force and the center of gravity. In order to verify the stability conditions of an immersed body is necessary to locate its metacentric point. One of the conditions is that when the center of buoyancy and center of gravity are coincident, the body is stable. In this experiment the center of gravity was higher than the center of buoyancy causing a slight tilt when changing the position of mass, although it became unstable as the experiment carried on, it still was stable enough to produce a moment to counter the action as the metacenter increases. When the center of gravity is above the center of buoyancy, the location of metacentric Height is lower. In our experiment everytime there was a change on the position of mass that would increase the angle of tilt, the metacentric height and the position of mass would move to more than 0.05 m ,thus the metacentric height would be increase, however the possibility for the pontoon to tip would also increase significantly. ● Conclusion: The apparatus remained stable throughout the experiment. Data recorded for the metacentric point was obtained from theoretical and experimental formulas using two different centers of gravity, 0.075 m and 0.125 m. Although the position of mass changed with each trial...
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...the pill bugs could have used cell communication to split up to obtain an equal amount of the varying substances. In addition decomposing organisms need four key elements to thrive, nitrogen, carbon, moisture, and oxygen. The organisms may have sensed these substances in both the lemon juice and the bleach, so no preference was established. The usage of second messangers could explain this because they are molecules that relay signals obtained at receptors on the cell surface in order propose the arrival of vital substances. Sources of error include that I did not perform enough trials to aquire a definite answer. If I perfomed more trials I would get a wider source of data and be able to determine other factors that are involved in this experiment. Also if others conducted this lab I could have obtained class data for comparing. I also may not have equally allocated the solutions of bleach and lemon juice, and that undermined accurate results. This could be fixed by using a graduated cylinder or a measuring tool that is...
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...needs. A more expensive product may actually be more cost effective if you can use less of it than a brand that costs less. Literature Review Many experiments have been conducted to test the strength and absorbency of paper towels. While the steps of the experiment vary from test to test, all of experiments are testing the same two factors; how much water can each paper towel brand absorb and how strong are each of the paper towels. Below I have reviewed the process and results from three experiments that are similar to the one I will be using. In the first experiment, the tester uses five brands of paper towels to test for absorbency, using paper towels of the same size to ensure the accuracy of the results. He draws a two inch circle in the center of a sheet of paper towel from each brand represented and placing the paper towel in an embroidery hoop to maintain stability. He then drops fifteen drops of water into the center of the circle draw on the paper towel, repeating the process for each brand, and measures the amount of time it takes the paper towel to wick the moisture outside of the circle. This test concludes that Bounty has the greatest absorbency. The next experiment tests for both absorbency and strength. As in the first test, several different brands of paper towels were used. In this experiment, to test the absorbency, the tester takes a sheet of each of the towels an inserts it into a glass with two ounces of water and leaves each sit for twenty...
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...Method Subjects Twenty high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 from a local high school participated in this experiment. Participants were expected to split into two groups, the control and experimental group, and perform the same experiment on two separate days, but due to scheduling conflicts, some participants took the test in an isolated setting at an earlier or later time. This experiment was approved by my high school’s School Site Council and the Long Beach Unified IRB. Materials The materials used for this experiment consisted of three videos from YouTube, three narratives with both repeated information and misinformation about the videos, and a source-memory test. The videos and narratives were presented on a projector,...
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