title: Establishing the experimenting society: the historical origin of social experimentation according to the randomized controlled design.
abstract: This article traces the historical origin of social experimentation. It highlights the central role of psychology in establishing the randomized controlled design and its quasi-experimental derivatives. The author investigates the differences in the 19th- and 20th-century meaning of the expression "social experiment." She rejects the image of neutrality of social experimentation, arguing that its 20th-century advocates promoted specific representations of cognitive competence and moral trustworthiness. More specifically, she demonstrates that the randomized controlled experiment and its quasi-experimental derivatives epitomize the values of efficiency and impersonality characteristic of the liberal variation of the 20th-century welfare state.
authors: Heymans Institute for Psychological Research, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands. g.c.g.dehue@ppsw.rug.nl
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Dehue
mesh_terms: D004992:Ethics, Medical / Q000266:history; D005060:Europe; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011589:Psychology, Experimental / Q000266:history* / Q000592:standards; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000266:history; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000266:history* / Q000592:standards; D012942:Social Sciences / Q000266:history; D014481:United States