Hi Tricia- I think that you have asked a very important question. In my Methods course I make a major point of explaining that "no difference" and "did not support my hypothesis" are NOT the same as "no meaning" and "no value". Two examples that I use to drive the point home:
1. I hold an eraser above the desk. I hypothesize that if I let go of the eraser then gravity will cause it to fall toward the earth. I then ask the class to think about which would be the more interesting finding, a. one that confirms the hypothesis or b. one that disconfirms the hypothesis. 2. I cite a study of the nutritional analysis of meals prepared by a. mothers working outside the home and b. stay-at-home mothers. The authors report that there was no significant difference in the nutritional quality of the meals. I then ask the class to think about whether such a study would be of no interest to a working-outside-the-home mother who was feeling guilty about her conflicting roles. I think that these examples help students to understand that the data are ALWAYS meaningful. Personally, I think that it is often the most meaningful when it disconfirms our hypotheses. All the best, -Don. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tricia Keith-Spiegel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, October 11, 2002 8:15 AM Subject: Experimental Psychology-Some dangers? > Hello all, > > I have never taught experimental psychology, but I have recently gotten hold > of a few articles (thanks to help from a couple of Tipsters, among others) > suggesting that undergraduate students often make up (or cook or trim) their > data rather than actually collecting it. One professor told me that when > she made it clear at the onset that the grade was not affected by whether > the results were "significant" (a term that may also be widely > misinterpreted by undergraduates), the number of students papers reporting > statistical significance dropped from almost 100% to less than 50%. > > Do any of you think that courses involving the independent collection, > analysis, and reporting of of data in undergraduate courses can > MIS-socialize students into what is expected of a responsible scientist? Do > you engage in any special lectures or assign any readings to help minimize > that risk? > > I am currently working on a project on responsible conduct of research and > am very interested in views about how the research process is introduced to > students. I should add that I believe that the undergraduate years is a > VERY appropriate time for students to begin collecting actual data, > analyzing, and reporting it because it is the best way to connect them to > our science. I think waiting until graduate school is too late (and those > who do not go on will have never have experienced how their major field of > study goes about making its discoveries). > > Tricia Keith-Spiegel, PhD > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
