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Experimentation: A Social Psychological Perspective
Author(s) -
FARR ROBERT M.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
british journal of social and clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0007-1293
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1976.tb00029.x
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , psychology , cognitive dissonance , social psychology , psychological research , theoretical psychology , social cognition , scope (computer science) , experimental psychology , cognition , epistemology , cognitive psychology , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , computer science , programming language , philosophy
An appraisal is attempted of contemporary experimental social psychology by considering ( a ) the relationship within social psychology of experimental and non‐experimental approaches and ( b ) distinctly social psychological contributions to methodology and experimentation within general experimental psychology. The broad scope and predominantly non‐experimental nature of early social psychology is noted. Characteristic differences in perspective between ‘behavioural’ and ‘cognitive’ social psychologists in styles of experimenting are identified. The Lewinian era was characterized by innovation in studying experimentally social phenomena not previously thought suited to laboratory investigation and by adapting experimental methods for use in social settings. Imbalance in achieving both these objectives in the post‐Lewinian era is noted, together with the tendency for experimental social psychologists to become unnecessarily imprisoned within the confines of their laboratories. Campbell's antidote to this latter tendency is stressed. The innovative and methodologically controversial nature of research on cognitive dissonance theory is evaluated. The change in perspective suggested by contemporary research on the social psychology of the psychology experiment is elaborated and discussed.