Disadvantages of Scientific Method

·         Problems with the nature of experimentation

·         Issues with external validity

·         Issues of researcher and participant effects

·         Regarding human behaviour as quantifiable 

Lack of internal validity

·         Investigator effects/demand characteristics

•          Leading questions used in studies
•          Also occurs in hard sciences

Lack of external validity

·         Doesn’t match real life findings

·         Not generalisable

·         Milgram

·         Operationalisation oversimplifies behaviour

·         Too many generalisations made

·         Laing and schizophrenia

·         Science is nomothetic

·         Makes too many generalisations

·         Gender, culture and age bias are created

·         E.g. most research uses Male American College students

·         Good science has ethical costs

·         Cost benefit needs to be established

·         Milgram