ABSTRACT
Experimental investigations of how individuals produce and perceive variation in language have been central to sociolinguistics since the inception of the field. This chapter reviews some of the main experimental paradigms that have been used in sociolinguistic research to date and detail the ways in which they have helped to advance sociolinguistic theory. Topics covered include studies of language attitudes from a variety of social and linguistic contexts, including those that focus on attitudes to micro-level patterns of variation in language as well as to broader social and cultural categories of language users. Throughout the chapter, the focus is on best practices in experimental sociolinguistics, and on how researchers can use experimental approaches to address key questions of sociolinguistic theory.
