what "95% CL" doesn't mean
Heard yesterday on NPR news: "...and 77% of survey respondents said that they supported the measure. This survey has a 95% confidence level." [end of news item.] 95% amused, David Epstein [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Data fudging
Tipsters, This a spin off of the recent double-dipping discussion. Has anyone had reason to apply Benford's Law to detect data fudging?. Do you know of software that does the "Digital Analysis" proposed by Nigrini? Wouldn't properly set up stemplots give you at least an eyeball approximation of serious violations of Benford's Law? My interest in this comes from at last reading: http://www.newscientist.com/ns/19990710/thepowerof.html >From time to time in the past ten years I have had reason suspect that student data had been fudged, but I've not had a way to check it. Anyone out there had experience in this area? Don't all answer at once. I've got to get back to grading, etc! Al Al L. Cone Jamestown College <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> North Dakota 701.252.3467 X 2604 http://www.jc.edu/users/faculty/cone
Re: Suspected cheating/double-dipping
on 12/9/99 10:21 AM, Renner, Michael at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Also, I disagree with John Serafin concerning how far the student's right to > privacy extends. It is appropriate for university officers -- which we are, > in this context -- to discuss a student and her or his performance. What > would be inappropriate would be for us to use such information for > nonacademic purposes or to disclose it to persons who have no legitimate > right to access it (including persons who aren't university officers). Using > discretion, as John suggested, is required, but I don't see that consulting > about appropriate academic issues, within the university, is a breach of > confidentiality. Needing a break from reading student papers, I spent a short time searching out college sites to see what they had to say about this privacy issue. I was sure I was going to find many schools that agreed with me. But I discovered that the opinion I expressed (not to reveal the identity of a student to colleagues when investigating possible cheating) is definitely the minority position. There are schools that, individually, take the confidentiality issue to that extreme; but I think Michael is correct that this is not strictly required. So I stand corrected, and thank those who straightened me out on this. John -- John Serafin Professor of Psychology Saint Vincent College 300 Fraser Purchase Rd. Latrobe, PA 15650 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: web sites and color blindness
Most Web browsers let you choose between using the colors set by the page and overriding them with your own choice. One should not try to hack around this! Also, use tags for all graphics so that a page is meaningful if a browser is set _not_ to autoload graphics (if a person is using a speech translator) or a nongraphics browser such as Lynx. Even better, make an alternative text-only page easily available. This is essential if you use frames, which screw up text readers. At 6:18 PM -0600 12/9/99, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >Is anyone aware of any suggestions for use of color on websites so >that persons with various types of color blindness can still read them? >I am putting together a set of guidelines for chapters of a >professional association on how to create accesible websites. At one >point I had a copy of a website created by a color blind student on >how to make websites accessible but I have since lost it and all >my searches come up with sites which tell what color blindness is but >does not tell how to make sure your website is accessible. > >TIA > >Joyce Morris >Public Health Sciences >Wichita State University >[EMAIL PROTECTED] * PAUL K. BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Psychology Dept Minnesota State University, Mankato * * 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001 ph 507-389-6217 * *http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html*
Re: Data fudging
This last post made me think about the apa rules against multiple and/or piecemeal publishing of data. I've seen several publications which are clearly from the same experiment although no footnote to that effect were added to the articles. At 08:59 AM 12/10/1999 -0600, Al Cone wrote: > >Tipsters, > >This a spin off of the recent double-dipping discussion. > >Has anyone had reason to apply Benford's Law to detect data fudging?. Do you >know of software that does the "Digital Analysis" proposed by Nigrini? >Wouldn't properly set up stemplots give you at least an eyeball >approximation of serious violations of Benford's Law? > >My interest in this comes from at last reading: > >http://www.newscientist.com/ns/19990710/thepowerof.html > >>From time to time in the past ten years I have had reason suspect that >student data had been fudged, but I've not had a way to check it. > >Anyone out there had experience in this area? > >Don't all answer at once. I've got to get back to grading, etc! > >Al > >Al L. Cone >Jamestown College <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >North Dakota 701.252.3467 X 2604 >http://www.jc.edu/users/faculty/cone >
RE: Data fudging
Al Cone wrote: > Has anyone had reason to apply Benford's Law to detect data > fudging?. It's not exactly Benford's Law, but I use an article that I believe was published in _Science_ to spark discussion with students about this particular ethical issue. The article discusses a study that was withdrawn because of an extremely unusual distribution of a set of digits in the data that should have been uniformly distributed (I may be remembering all of the details incorrectly, but this is the gist. So if your question is a more general one about knowledge of expected distributions of digits being used to detect fudging, the answer is a definite "yes". Paul Smith
measurement textbook
I'm teaching a new course for undergraduates in the near future entitled "An Introduction to Psychological Measurement." The purpose of the course is to teach students how to measure psychological phenomena for research and testing. The range of topics to be covered include descriptive statistics, scaling, constructing surveys, sampling, basic testing concepts (e.g., reliability, validity etc.), measurement theory etc. I have searched for a good, not to technical, textbook for sophomore level undergraduate students, but I have not found one that is completely satisfactory. I would like to find one that surveys some of the traditional measurement procedures as well as modern techniques. Does anyone have any suggestions? Gerald W. Ritter Professor of Psychology Alcorn State University Alcorn State, MS [EMAIL PROTECTED]
When is double dipping double dipping?
I am puzzled by the concept of double dipping. Faculty in my department have discussed (and argued) about this with respect to a graduate course in research methods in which students are required to write a proposal for research (much like a thesis prospectus). Some faculty think that this is a fine opportunity to develop a first draft of the thesis prosepectus and get some good methodological advice on their project from the course instructor in the bargain. Others think that this is double dipping and that students should not use their thesis topic for this project. I looked in our student handbook and found prohibitions against plagiarism (of course) and "misrepresentation" (defined as "any action or omission with intent to deceive a teacher so as to affect a grade"). There is no specific mention of double-dipping, although we might construe that double-diping might be covered as self-plagiarism or as misrepresentation. Self-plagiarism is not described in the handbook - it only addresses use of the words or ideas of_others_. Although double dipping certainly can affect a student's grade by providing all or part of an assignment for a class, it seems to me that misrepresentation requires that the student know that such behavior is inappropriate and acts in a deceptive manner to engage in double dipping. Turning in exactly the same paper to 2 instructors is clearly double dipping, but other cases are less clear. How should we treat a student who writes 2 papers for 2 courses on related topics with considerable overlap in the sources cited? What about a student to elaborates on a topic treated superficially in one course to create a more substantive paper for another course? And what of the development of a draft of a thesis prospectus for a research proposal assignment? Claudia Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D.e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Department of PsychologyPhone: (850) 474 - 3163 University of West Florida FAX:(850) 857 - 6060 Pensacola, FL 32514 - 5751
summer reus abroad
Does anyone know of any summer research experiences for undergraduates in countries other than the US? Anyone know how I could find out? thanks annette Annette Taylor, Ph. D. Department of PsychologyE-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] University of San Diego Voice: (619) 260-4006 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 "Education is one of the few things a person is willing to pay for and not get." -- W. L. Bryan
Re: instant class demos
I saved your post about personality. Now I have students interested in the demonstration with the flashlight. Is there any research to which I could refer them. Thanks. Sandy Price (details below) Date sent: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 10:23:21 -0400 (EDT) From: Robin Pearce <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send reply to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject:Re: instant class demo > > A professor with whom I'm teaching personality psych did a rather fun > thing ... after I'd administered the Eysenck Personality Inventory in > discussion, he had me recruit two volunteers, one high in extroversion, > one high in introversion. Without knowing which was which, he flashed > a light in both of their eyes and identified them immediately. > > Introverts' pupils contract quicker. They're naturally at a higher level > of stimulation and so respond more quickly to any additional stimulation. > > You can also feed them lemon juice and watch them drool, but just try > getting an introver to do *that* in front of the class. It's hard enough > to find one willing to let you shine a light in their eyes. > > --Robin > > *** > Robin Pearce "There's a million ways to get things done, > Boston University There's a million ways to make things work out." > [EMAIL PROTECTED] --David Byrne > *** > > Sandra Price, History Division Oak Park and River Forest High School 201 N. Scoville Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 School 708-383-0700 x2311 Fax 708-383-3484 [EMAIL PROTECTED] "The truth will not penetrate a preoccupied mind." Charles Darwin
Re: When is double dipping double dipping?
Claudia raises some interesting points on the true meaning of double dipping. I think "misrepresentation" is key here. As an undergrad I wrote a literary analysis paper on Ann Sexton for a creative writing class. A few semesters later, I was asked to write a case history of a creative person for a psychology seminar on creativity. I asked the prof if I could do Sexton again, explaining that it would necessarily be a very different kind of paper. He saw no reason why I shouldn't expand my interest in the poet by researching another paper. He also asked that I turn in the earlier paper along with the current one. I see no reason why every paper needs to be completely independent. As long as the overlap is minimal, the new paper demonstrates growth and increased knowledge, and, of course, meets the specific course requirements. In grad school, it seems that the emphasis should be on increasing knowledge within a well defined area. A graduate research methods class is preparation for...well...graduate research. Certainly, the proposal should be in a research area that the student intends to pursue. If a great doable idea comes out of that class, why should a student be prohibited from using it later on? I know several students who developed research proposals from various classes into later dissertation topics. The key term here is "develop." A great deal of study and work followed the initial class proposal and these students went on to post docs in related areas of research. Double dipping, as I understand it, is a deceptive practice to get credit for the same (or very nearly same) work twice. I think we need to distinguish between double dipping and intellectual development. Pam Shapiro Claudia Stanny wrote: > > I am puzzled by the concept of double dipping. Faculty in my department > have discussed (and argued) about this with respect to a graduate course in > research methods in which students are required to write a proposal for > research (much like a thesis prospectus). Some faculty think that this is > a fine opportunity to develop a first draft of the thesis prosepectus and > get some good methodological advice on their project from the course > instructor in the bargain. Others think that this is double dipping and > that students should not use their thesis topic for this project. > > I looked in our student handbook and found prohibitions against plagiarism > (of course) and "misrepresentation" (defined as "any action or omission > with intent to deceive a teacher so as to affect a grade"). There is no > specific mention of double-dipping, although we might construe that > double-diping might be covered as self-plagiarism or as misrepresentation. > Self-plagiarism is not described in the handbook - it only addresses use of > the words or ideas of_others_. Although double dipping certainly can > affect a student's grade by providing all or part of an assignment for a > class, it seems to me that misrepresentation requires that the student know > that such behavior is inappropriate and acts in a deceptive manner to > engage in double dipping. Turning in exactly the same paper to 2 > instructors is clearly double dipping, but other cases are less clear. How > should we treat a student who writes 2 papers for 2 courses on related > topics with considerable overlap in the sources cited? What about a > student to elaborates on a topic treated superficially in one course to > create a more substantive paper for another course? And what of the > development of a draft of a thesis prospectus for a research proposal > assignment? > > Claudia > > > > Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D.e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Department of PsychologyPhone: (850) 474 - 3163 > University of West Florida FAX:(850) 857 - 6060 > Pensacola, FL 32514 - 5751
