Research Methods - Evaluating Research Claims / Surveys + Observations

Types of Claims

Frequency

• 39% teens text + drive

• Single variable

Association

• Playing instrument linked to better cognition

• 2+ measured variables related to each other

• Positive, negative, zero

Causal

• Listening to music reduces stress

• One variable causes changes in another

Language used can show which one

What to check with Causal claims

Covariance

• Variable changes are associated with each other

Temporal Precedence

• One variable comes before the other; one is manipulated

• Cannot make causal claims if not

Internal Validity

• No alternative explanations

What’s a double barrel question?

“Do you enjoy swimming and wearing sunscreen?”

Asking 2 questions in one

What’s a negatively worded question?

Makes sentence harder to process

Disagreeing with negative phrasing means you’re actually agreeing

What is Priming?

Participant responses can be impacted by question order

More likely to agree once they’ve already started agreeing

What is observer bias?

Observers interpreting behaviours to fit expectations

What are observer effects?

When participants confirm observers expectations

Clever Hans horse → only saw what they wanted to see; didn’t think of other possible explanations