Learn Before
Explain how the researcher should handle these outliers in accordance with the three strict methodological standards of data exclusion, demonstrating your understanding of how each standard applies to this study.
Case context: A psychology researcher is conducting an online survey on study habits. While conducting preliminary analyses, the researcher identifies two extreme outliers: one participant completed a 30-minute survey in under 45 seconds (indicating a lack of participant effort), and another participant's recorded age was 210 years due to a typing error during data entry. The researcher decides to exclude these anomalous data points before running their primary analyses.
Question: Explain how the researcher should handle these outliers in accordance with the three strict methodological standards of data exclusion, demonstrating your understanding of how each standard applies to this study.
Sample answer: First, the researcher must apply their exclusion criteria consistently, meaning they must check all other participants using the same standards (e.g., speed of completion and impossible age entries) and exclude any others who meet these criteria. Second, the researcher must retain the original dataset containing the outliers and avoid permanently deleting the original files or data. Third, when reporting the results, the researcher must transparently state that they excluded exactly two data points and explain the specific reasons for their removal (one for completion speed indicating lack of effort, and one for a data entry error in the age field).
Key points:
- Explain how the researcher applies the exclusion criteria consistently across all participants in the study.
- Explain that the researcher must keep the original data intact and avoid permanently deleting the outlier responses.
- Explain that the researcher must transparently report the count (two exclusions) and the specific reasons (lack of effort and typing error) in their findings.
Rubric: The response must explain how to apply all three standards—consistency, data retention, and transparency—specifically within the context of the survey study and the identified outliers.
0
1
Tags
KPU
Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
Related
According to strict methodological standards, which of the following is a requirement when a researcher decides to exclude extreme data points from a dataset?
Match each methodological standard for handling anomalous data with the correct description of its application in a psychology study.
A psychology researcher identifies an extreme outlier in their dataset that resulted from a clear data entry error. True or False: To follow strict methodological standards, the researcher should permanently delete this participant's row from the original master spreadsheet to ensure that future analyses of the raw data remain accurate.
A psychology researcher identifies several anomalous data points during preliminary analysis. To adhere to strict methodological standards when excluding these outliers, in what order should the following steps be performed?
Which of the following best explains the rationale for transparently reporting both the number of exclusions and the specific reasons for removing outliers in a psychology study?
A researcher identifies extreme outliers in their dataset but only excludes those that contradict the study's hypothesis while keeping those that support it. When evaluating the validity of this study, a critic would conclude that the researcher failed to apply their exclusion criteria _____.
According to strict methodological standards in psychology research, a researcher who excludes outliers from their analysis must transparently report both the specific reasons for the removal and the total _____ of data points that were excluded.
A developmental psychology researcher discovers that a participant's recorded age is 190 years due to a typing error (the decimal point was missed for a 19-month-old). To correct this, the researcher permanently deletes this participant's row from the master database and runs the analysis. True or False: This action follows strict methodological standards for excluding outliers.
Match each scenario of handling data in a psychology study with the specific methodological standard for excluding outliers it illustrates.
A psychology researcher is preparing to analyze their experimental data. Arrange the steps the researcher should take to handle and report outliers, from first to last, in accordance with strict methodological standards.
According to strict methodological standards in psychology research, what are the three requirements that researchers must follow when they choose to exclude extreme outliers, and what are the three typical causes of these outliers mentioned in the research methods text?
Explain how the researcher should handle these outliers in accordance with the three strict methodological standards of data exclusion, demonstrating your understanding of how each standard applies to this study.
A psychology researcher finds an extreme outlier caused by a participant's misunderstanding of the instructions. Apply the strict methodological standards of outlier exclusion to describe what the researcher should do with their raw data file and what details they must include in their final research report regarding this outlier.