Which among the following is a valid criticism of experimental method in social sciences? 

The experimental approach uses variable modification to find cause-and-effect connections. Controlled methods and participants being divided into controlled and experimental groups at random are the main characteristics. An experiment is a study in which a theory is put to the test in a scientific manner.

Key PointsCriticism of experimental method in social sciences:

The criticisms of the experimental method are,

• Artificiality,
• Lack of random sampling,
• Triviality

Important Points

• These three appear to render experimentation methodologically impotent as a technique of social scientific investigation.
• Artificiality in laboratory experimentation is a defect or flaw only within the context of verification and may be a distinct virtue in the context of discovery.

Additional Information

• Impossible to conduct in social situation: Social science research is always possible to conduct in social situation.
• Unavailability good experiments in social sciences: it is not true at all
• Social research problems cannot be studied experimentally: we can conduct experiments in social science research