Discuss
the strengths and weaknesses of experimental method as a method of
enquiry.
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of experimental method as a method of enquiry.
The
strengths and weaknesses of experimental method as a method of
enquiry are:
Strengths
It
provides a relatively convincing evidence of a cause-effect
relationship between two or more variables.
The
extraneous variables can be eliminated from the laboratory.
It
can minimise the sequence effect with the help of counter-balancing
technique.
It
eliminates any potential systematic differences between groups by
giving random assignment to groups of participants. This is done to
help in framing the conclusion without any assumption.
Weaknesses
The
highly controlled laboratory situation only simulates the conditions
of the outer world.
The
results of the experiments cannot be generally applied to real
situations, thus field experiments are required in such situations.
It is
not always feasible to study a particular problem experimentally.
It is
difficult to know and control all the relevant variables,
particularly in field experiments. Many variables cannot be
manipulated in laboratory settings.
The strengths and weaknesses of experimental method as a method of enquiry are:
Strengths
It provides a relatively convincing evidence of a cause-effect relationship between two or more variables.
The extraneous variables can be eliminated from the laboratory.
It can minimise the sequence effect with the help of counter-balancing technique.
It eliminates any potential systematic differences between groups by giving random assignment to groups of participants. This is done to help in framing the conclusion without any assumption.
Weaknesses
The highly controlled laboratory situation only simulates the conditions of the outer world.
The results of the experiments cannot be generally applied to real situations, thus field experiments are required in such situations.
It is not always feasible to study a particular problem experimentally.
It is difficult to know and control all the relevant variables, particularly in field experiments. Many variables cannot be manipulated in laboratory settings.
