Below is the clear concept of “Indirect Experimentation” in Sociology, in Notion-compatible format, and NOT summarised.

🧪 Indirect Experimentation in Sociology

1. What Is Indirect Experimentation?

In natural sciences, researchers conduct direct experiments—they manipulate variables in a controlled laboratory setting.

But sociology cannot physically manipulate society or isolate variables (we cannot change suicide rates, alter caste structure, or switch religions for an experiment).

So sociologists use Indirect Experimentation, where:

Instead of manipulating variables, the researcher looks for natural variations across groups, societies, cultures, or time periods to identify causal relations.

It is called “experimental” because it performs the same logical role as an experiment—finding cause and effect—but without a laboratory.

2. Why It Is Called Indirect

• No laboratory
• No controlled physical manipulation
• No artificial isolation of variables

Instead, sociologists use natural differences between societies as “experimental conditions”.

For example:

• If two societies are similar but differ in religion, and their suicide rates differ → religion becomes a causal factor.
• If industrialisation rises and fertility drops → the relationship is inferred from naturally occurring social change.

Thus, the experiment happens indirectly, through real-world variations.