ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the philosophical underpinnings of experimental research. Most people who have even passing familiarity with social science methods probably know that experiments, also known as randomized controlled trials, are considered the “gold standard” in scientific research. Experimental methods offer solutions to the problems observational studies face. The typical experiment starts by assigning people who volunteer as research subjects to experimental conditions at random. The chapter discusses some of the conditions under which an experimental approach to studying emotions in world politics might make sense. First and foremost, experiments are useful when the validity of cause–effect relationships are at issue. Evolutionary accounts of fear, for example, suggest that people are difficult to reassure about their security because anything that reminds them of danger, even inadvertently, causes anxiety. Experiments are also useful when important relationships are difficult to observe in real-world settings.
