ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns the experiment as a technique for investigating phenomena in the field of race and ethnic studies. It discusses problems associated with the conduct of inquiry in race studies, including the statistical rarity of experiments as an understudied phenomenon. The chapter argues that adopting a theory-driven strategy is crucial to advancing science. It discusses data collection and reasons that scientists collect data. The chapter includes an appeal for more theory-driven research and more extensive use of experiments in studies of race and ethnicity. It argues that widespread adoption of the theory-driven approach is necessary to transform race and ethnic studies from a field that amasses unexplained empirical observations to a science that offers more, and better, understandings of human behavior. The chapter describes an empiricist laboratory experiment and a series of theory-driven experiments that demonstrate the range of phenomena that can be investigated with theory.
