Value of Unexpected Results

What specifically constitutes data falsification in a research study?

A researcher who removes several data points from their final analysis because the results contradict their original hypothesis is upholding the standards of scholarly integrity.

A team of psychology researchers is reviewing their dataset before publication. Match each researcher's action to its correct classification according to scholarly integrity standards.

A researcher is analyzing a dataset ($N = 60$) and finds that removing four specific participants would change a non-significant result ($p = .08$) into a significant one ($p < .05$). To avoid data falsification and ensure the study accurately reflects the world as it is, arrange the following steps in the correct order for evaluating whether these data points can be omitted.

Match each term related to research ethics with its correct definition or purpose according to the principles of scholarly integrity.

Which of the following statements best reflects the underlying reason why psychological researchers are prohibited from engaging in data falsification, even when their results are unexpected?

In a psychological study on memory with $N = 50$, a researcher discovers that the data does not show the expected significant difference ($p = .07$). To achieve a significant result, the researcher removes the scores of three participants whose performance contradicted the hypothesis. Because the researcher is deleting real observations specifically to ensure the data supports their expectations, they are engaging in data _____.

A researcher studying social media use and loneliness collects data from 80 participants. After running the analysis, she notices that five participants reported unusually low loneliness scores. Without documenting any methodological reason or disclosing the omission in her report, she quietly drops these five cases because she feels they make the data look "too spread out." Applying the principles of scholarly integrity, this researcher has committed data falsification.

A psychology student runs an experiment on test anxiety and academic performance ($N = 45$) and finds no significant relationship between the two variables ($p = .18$). Frustrated by the outcome, she decides to recode several participants' anxiety ratings upward by a few points so that the correlation reaches statistical significance. Breaking down what makes this action a violation of research ethics: the student is engaging in _____, because she is deliberately changing real data values to produce an outcome that was not actually observed in the study.

A researcher completes data collection for a study on exercise frequency and academic motivation ($N = 55$) and finds that the results directly contradict her original hypothesis. Evaluate the steps below and arrange them in the order that best reflects sound scholarly integrity when handling these unexpected results, from the most foundational obligation to the final reporting step.

Define data falsification and explain the fundamental scientific goal and duty that researchers must uphold when reporting their research findings.

Explain why this student's actions constitute data falsification and how this choice conflicts with the primary goal and duty of scientific research.

A psychology researcher completes data collection ($N = 75$) and discovers that the data directly contradicts their hypothesis. Applying the standards of scholarly integrity, what action should the researcher take regarding the data, and what is the scientific justification for this action?