The Pros and Cons of Field Experiments in Sociology
Understanding field experiments, pros of field experiments in sociology, 1. ecological validity, 2. contextual understanding, 3. causal inference, 4. behavioural realism, 5. potential for policy impact, cons of field experiments in sociology, 1. practical challenges, 2. ethical considerations, 3. external validity limitations, 4. limited experimental control, 5. time and resource intensive, real-life example of a field experiment: the oregon health insurance experiment.
- Improved Healthcare Utilisation: Individuals who earned Medicaid coverage reported higher rates of healthcare utilization. That included better access to primary care, preventive services, and prescription drugs confirming the health insurance's role as a better access facilitator for essential healthcare services.
- Enhanced Health Outcomes: According to the study, individuals with Medicaid coverage had improved self-reported outcomes. They demonstrated reduced depression rates, better-self-evaluated health status, and increased likelihood of receiving diagnoses and treatments for chronic conditions.
- Financial Protection: The findings revealed that Medicaid-covered individuals experienced reduced medical expense-based financial strain. They were unlikely to have unpaid medical bills or healthcare costs-related debts. That highlighted health insurance's role as a financial protector against medical emergencies.
- Limited Impact on Physical Health Measures: The study could not find statistically significant changes in certain physiology-related objective measures, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This suggested that the effects of health insurance coverage on physical health may need longer manifestation time or additional interventions.
- Trade-Offs and Cost Considerations: The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment also shed light on the expanding healthcare coverage-associated trade-offs. The study revealed that expanding Medicaid coverage to more people impacted access to care for certain people who remained uninsured because of the study's restricted resources. This highlighted the policymakers' challenges in attempts to balance care accessibility with offered coverage costs.
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