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A researcher wants to study if adults prefer watching television on a large screen versus a smartphone. This preference is already well-known, heavily researched in existing literature, and holds no practical implications. How could the researcher apply the three criteria of scientific interestingness to modify this research idea into a scientifically interesting question?
Question: A researcher wants to study if adults prefer watching television on a large screen versus a smartphone. This preference is already well-known, heavily researched in existing literature, and holds no practical implications. How could the researcher apply the three criteria of scientific interestingness to modify this research idea into a scientifically interesting question?
Sample answer: The researcher could modify the study to look at how screen size affects cognitive fatigue during remote work training. This makes the answer in doubt (untested context), fills a gap in literature regarding professional training, and has practical implications for workspace design.
Key points:
- Applies the 'answer is in doubt' criterion by proposing an unresolved outcome.
- Applies the 'fills a gap' criterion by targeting an unexamined area of research.
- Applies the 'practical implications' criterion by connecting findings to real-world applications.
Feedback: A correct answer should modify the research question to address all three criteria of scientific interestingness. It must propose a question where the outcome is in doubt, addresses a gap in the psychological literature, and has practical utility (e.g., studying cognitive fatigue in training settings).
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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Sources for Research Interestingness
According to the criteria for evaluating research, which of the following combinations makes a research question scientifically interesting?
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Match each research scenario with the specific criterion that primarily makes the research question 'scientifically interesting.'
Based on the criteria that a research question is 'interesting' only if its answer is in doubt, it fills a gap in the literature, and it has practical implications, rank these research proposals from least interesting (1) to most interesting (3).
According to the criteria for evaluating research, the 'interestingness' of a research question is determined by its appeal and significance to which two groups?
Match each criterion of a 'scientifically interesting' research question with the statement that best describes its meaning and significance within the scientific community.
A researcher evaluates a potential study and determines it is not scientifically interesting because, although the answer is currently unknown and the study would fill a gap in the research literature, the findings would not be useful for solving real-world problems or informing policy. This researcher has judged that the question fails to satisfy the criterion of _____.
A clinical psychologist proposes a study to determine if getting zero hours of sleep per night causes fatigue. Because this study has clear practical implications for health, it is considered scientifically interesting even though the answer is not in doubt.
An investigator wants to study a new online learning tool. Although they realize there is no literature on it (filling a gap) and it will help students (practical implications), they are already certain of the outcome. In analyzing the scientific interestingness of this question, the investigator has failed to satisfy the criterion that the answer is currently in _____.
Based on the three criteria for determining if a research question is scientifically interesting, evaluate and order the following research proposals from most scientifically interesting (order 1) to least scientifically interesting (order 3).
Explain the concept of the 'interestingness' of a research question in psychological research. Specifically, identify the two groups of people to whom a question must appeal, and list the three criteria that make a research question scientifically interesting.
Based on the case context, explain which of the three criteria for scientific interestingness are met by this proposed research question, and which are not met. Justify your evaluation for each criterion.
A researcher wants to study if adults prefer watching television on a large screen versus a smartphone. This preference is already well-known, heavily researched in existing literature, and holds no practical implications. How could the researcher apply the three criteria of scientific interestingness to modify this research idea into a scientifically interesting question?