PS 300 PUG Cigarettes and Stress Relationship Questions
ANSWER
- Scenario: Observer Effect
- Source of Error/Bias: Participant Reactivity
- Best Way to Work Around: Implement Blinding or Double-Blinding
In 1-2 sentences, why would this be a problem for the study data? Participants altering their behavior due to awareness of being observed can lead to inaccurate data representation, as they may not behave naturally.
- Scenario: Social Desirability Bias
- Source of Error/Bias: Response Bias
- Best Way to Work Around: Assure Anonymity and Confidentiality
In 1-2 sentences, why would this be a problem for the study data? Participants providing answers they believe the researcher wants to hear can distort the true responses and lead to misleading conclusions.
- Scenario: Non-Response Bias and Participant Dropout
- Source of Error/Bias: Selection Bias
- Best Way to Work Around: Use Random Sampling and Incentives, Address Attrition
A researcher decides to recruit more participants to replace those who did not respond and/or those who dropped out from the study. In 1-2 sentences, why would this be a problem for the study data and not be advised? Replacing non-respondents or dropouts with new participants can introduce bias as the characteristics of those who left might differ from those who remain or join later.
- Scenario: Researcher Bias
- Source of Error/Bias: Confirmation Bias
- Best Way to Work Around: Peer Review, Collaborative Analysis
A researcher feels confident that they will be able to be objective and unbiased and will put in their best effort to do so. In 1-2 sentences, why is this not sufficient for working around this issue? Even well-intentioned researchers can unconsciously interpret data to align with their preconceived notions, which is why external scrutiny and collaboration are important.
- Interpreting Correlations: Three Possibilities
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- X causes Y
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- Y causes X
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- Confounding Variable Z causes both X and Y
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- Confounding Variable A confounding variable is an additional variable that is not the main focus of the study but affects both the independent and dependent variables, leading to a false association between them.
- Interpreting Correlation Between Time Spent Outdoors and Happiness
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- Time spent outdoors (X) causes happiness (Y).
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- Happiness (Y) causes people to spend more time outdoors (X).
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- A confounding variable (e.g., exercise, social interaction) influences both time spent outdoors (X) and happiness (Y).
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- Possible Confounding Variable for Time Spent Outdoors and Happiness A possible confounding variable affecting the relationship could be the level of physical activity, as more active individuals might spend more time outdoors and also experience increased happiness due to exercise-induced endorphins.
- Interpreting Correlation Between Smoking Cigarettes and Stress
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- Smoking cigarettes (X) causes stress (Y).
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- Stress (Y) leads individuals to smoke more cigarettes (X).
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- A confounding variable (e.g., socioeconomic status, mental health) influences both smoking (X) and stress (Y).
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- Possible Confounding Variable for Smoking Cigarettes and Stress A possible confounding variable could be mental health, as individuals with higher stress levels might be more prone to smoking as a coping mechanism, leading to a correlation between smoking and stress.
Feel free to use this information to complete your assignment or address any questions you might have.
QUESTION
Description
For the items below, use the drop down boxes to identify the source of error/bias and the best way to work around it. Be sure to also respond to the associated question for each scenario.
Choose an item. is when participants show different behavior because they know they are being observed. The best way to work around this is to Choose an item..
In 1-2 sentences, why would this be a problem for the study data?
Choose an item. is when participants respond with what they think the researcher wants to hear, or what they think makes them look good, but not with the truth. The best way to work around this is to Choose an item..
In 1-2 sentences, why would this be a problem for the study data?
Choose an item. is when a considerable number of people do not choose to take a survey and the people who take the survey differ in important ways from people who do not. Choose an item. iswhen, during the course of a study, participants drop out or withdraw from the study. The best way to work around each of these potential sources of error/bias is to Choose an item..
A researcher decides to recruit more participants to replace those who did not respond and/or those who dropped out from the study. In 1-2 sentences, why would this be a problem for the study dataand not be advised?
Choose an item. is when a researcher has preconceived notions that affect how they interpret data and respond to study participants. The best way to work around this is to Choose an item..
A researcher feels confident that they will be able to be objective and unbiased and will put in their best effort to do so. In 1-2 sentences, why is this not sufficient for working around this issue?
A common error that people make is interpreting causation from correlation. For example, when X and Y are correlated, people might assume that X causes Y, when there are actually three possibilities. Identify the three different ways that a correlation between X and Y could be interpreted.
Define a confounding variable.
What are the three different ways that a correlation between time spent outdoors and happiness could be interpreted?
What is a possible confounding variable affecting the relationship between time spent outdoors and happiness?
A researcher finds a correlation between smoking cigarettes and stress. What are three different ways that this could be interpreted?
What is a possible confounding variable affecting the relationship between cigarettes and stress?