Deck 4: The Professional and Social Responsibilities of Scientists

Question 1

According to your textbook, how can research mistakes be distinguished from culpable error?

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

List three reasons why poorly designed research is unethical.

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

What three groups are harmed when poor research is conducted? Explain the nature of the harm to each of those groups.

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

What is subject matter competence? How can you ensure that you have it?

Question 5

List three conditions that suggest a researcher has been negligent about the design of a research study.

Question 6

Name and define three questionable research practices.

Question 7

Your textbook describes five questionable research practices that can occur during data collection and analysis. Which do you believe does the greatest harm to science? Explain your answer.

Question 8

Name and define two questionable research practices that might occur during data interpretation and recording.

Question 9

What is methodological tuning? Under what conditions might it be ethically questionable?

Question 10

Name and define three types of outliers. How can each be identified?

Question 11

Under what conditions is it ethically acceptable to remove outliers from a data set?

Question 12

What is the positivity bias in research? What are the potential ethical consequences of this bias for social scientists?

Question 13

Imagine you discover that you have made a mistake in a published research article. Describe two ways to correct the error.

Question 14

Describe the types of harm that can result when a scientist engages in data forgery.

Question 15

Describe three steps you can take to prevent scientific misconduct.

Question 16

If you believed that someone in your research group was engaging in research misconduct, what steps could you take to address it?

Question 17

Imagine you are working on a research project. List two activities you might complete that are deserving of authorship credit. Then list two types of activities you might complete that should be acknowledged in a footnote.

Question 18

What is plagiarism? Describe two steps can you take to avoid it.

Question 19

What is text recycling? Are there any situations in which it is acceptable? Explain your reasoning.

Question 20

What is piecemeal publication? Are there any situations in which it considered ethical?

Question 21

Give an example of a research study that exploits its participants. Explain the nature of the exploitation.

Question 22

What is overgeneralization of the results of research? Give an example.

Question 23

You are a practitioner who does not read the scientific literature about effective therapies. Explain why this decision might meet the criteria for unprofessional conduct.

Question 24

Explain how a societal mentor might use scientific knowledge to address a societal problem.

Question 25

Explain how a social activist might use scientific knowledge to address a social problem.

Question 26

Describe the tension between the societal mentor and the social activist roles. Is it possible to navigate between them? Explain your reasoning.

Question 27

Are there any conditions under which a scientist can ethically act as an individual in the political arena? Explain your reasoning.

Question 28

If you were called to be an expert witness in a trial, what factors should you consider before you discuss the research literature on the topic you are testifying about?

Question 29

Imagine you decide to advocate for a specific social policy for which there is a well-defined social science literature. What should you do to ensure that you present the findings described in the literature in a fair manner?

Question 30

Explain how a risk/benefit analysis can be used to address whether socially sensitive research should be carried out.

Question 31

List the arguments in favor of the position that scientists have an ethical obligation to conduct research.

Question 32

Consider the question of whether applied research is more ethical than basic research. What is your view on this debate? Explain your reasoning.

Question 33

Consider the question of whether research on some topics should be banned or restricted. What is your view on this issue? Explain your reasoning.

Question 34

List the arguments in favor of the position that scientists have an ethical obligation to monitor the use of scientific knowledge.

Question 35

Researchers sometimes make mistakes when conducting research. Scientists guard against mistakes by

A) using research methods that are designed to prevent errors.
B) conducting replication research to verify results.
C) subjecting their work to critical review by peers.
D) doing all of the above.

Question 36

Which of the following would be considered an ethical lapse?

A) making a Type II error
B) drawing mistaken conclusions because of random measurement error
C) intentionally violating a principle of good research practice
D) discussing a suspected case of research fraud with one's mentor

Question 37

Which of the following would be a mistake rather than a culpable error?

A) Using a small sample size that increases the chances of making a Type II error.
B) Failing to determine the reliability of a measure used in your study.
C) Losing data because the university's Internet went down.
D) All of the above are mistakes rather than culpable errors.

Question 38

Which of the following is a reason why carrying out poorly designed research can lead to unethical treatment of research participants?

A) Poorly designed research is a waste of participants' time and effort.
B) Participants could be physically harmed if proper safety procedures are not followed.
C) If the research results do not produce valid knowledge, there is no justification for the discomfort and risks participants might endure.
D) All of the above are reasons.

Question 39

Culpable error in research can result from

A) intentionally ignoring the principle of good research design.
B) being careless in designing research.
C) being unable to correctly interpret the results of statistical analyses.
D) any of the above.

Question 40

Researchers have an ethical obligation to be competent. Which of the following would NOT generally be considered a part of this ethical obligation?

A) ensuring that your results are presented at a conference or are published.
B) designing internally valid research
C) having a solid theoretical or empirical basis for your hypotheses
D) correctly carrying out statistical analyses

Question 41

Which of the following is an example of subject matter competence?

A) having a solid theoretical or empirical basis for your hypothesis.
B) creating a new dependent measure without first reviewing the established measures.
C) conducting a statistical analysis without fully understanding the assumptions of the statistical test you have chosen.
D) all of the above are examples

Question 42

Questionable research practices can occur during

A) data collection.
B) data entry.
C) data analysis.
D) any of these stages.

Question 43

_________ refers to collecting data on a large number of variables but focusing only on the statistically significant relations found among them.

A) Data snooping
B) Data dredging
C) Data trimming
D) HARKing

Question 44

__________refers to the practice of formulating hypotheses based on a study's outcome but treating them as a priori hypothesis when reporting the results of the research.

A) Data embellishing
B) Post hoc quarterbacking
C) HARKing
D) Theoretical tuning

Question 45

Professor Nowitzki writes a journal article reporting the results of studies that he never conducted. He is guilty of

A) data cooking.
B) data forgery.
C) data trimming.
D) data torturing.

Question 46

Professor Nowitzki discards data that do not support the hypothesis of his study. He reasons that doing so has produced clearer results. He is guilty of

A) data dredging.
B) data forgery.
C) data trimming.
D) data torturing.

Question 47

Professor Werner drops the scores of some participants so that her results better fit her predictions. She is guilty of

A) data dredging.
B) data forgery.
C) data trimming.
D) data torturing.

Question 48

Professor Werner does not initially get statistically significant results from her data, so she keeps doing different types of statistical tests until significant results turn up. She is guilty of

A) data snooping.
B) data forgery.
C) data trimming.
D) data torturing.

Question 49

Data torturing consists of

A) reporting the results of a study that was never conducted.
B) discarding data that do not support the hypothesis of a study until one gets "better" results.
C) changing some participants' scores so that they better fit one's predictions.
D) repeatedly conducting different types of statistical tests on a data set until significant results turn up.

Question 50

Professor Wiley periodically checks his results and, once his findings have reached significance, he stops data collection. Which questionable research practice has he engaged in?

A) data snooping.
B) data forgery.
C) data trimming.
D) data torturing.

Question 51

Data trimming consists of

A) removing outliers from the data set prior to analyses.
B) focusing attention on statistically significant findings while ignoring nonsignificant findings.
C) dropping the scores for some participants so that the findings better fit one's predictions.
D) repeatedly conducting different types of statistical tests on a data set until significant results turn up.

Question 52

Which of the following is an example of accentuating the positive about one's research results?

A) Being more critical of results that are consistent with your hypothesis to ensure you are not biased.
B) Focusing attention on statistically significant findings while ignoring nonsignificant findings.
C) Dropping the scores for some participants so that your findings better fit your predictions.
D) All of the above are ways to accentuate the positive.

Question 53

Why is data snooping a problem?

A) It increases the Type I error rate.
B) It increases the Type II error rate.
C) It is inefficient.
D) It makes it difficult to determine whether extreme scores are outliers.

Question 54

Which type of outlier might be better labeled an "accurate" data point?

A) error outliers
B) interesting outliers
C) construct outliers
D) Type II outliers

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT an appropriate method for handling outliers?

A) Remove all outliers, regardless of type.
B) Analyze the data with and without the outliers and report the results that best support your hypothesis.
C) Replace an outlier that was due to a data entry error with the correct value.
D) Transform extreme values to a specified percentile of the range of all scores.

Question 56

_________ is the process of transforming extreme values in a data set to a specified percentile of the range of scores.

A) Piecemeal recentering
B) Winsorization
C) Tail clipping
D) HARKing

Question 57

Which of the following about handling outliers is TRUE?

A) Removing outliers makes it impossible to determine whether the null hypothesis is correct.
B) The most common method for handing outliers is to use a Winsorization process.
C) Outliers that are due to data entry mistakes should be replaced with the mean of the remaining scores on that dependent measure.
D) It is ethical to remove outliers if the data are also analyzed with outliers included and the results of both analyses are reported.

Question 58

Data forgery consists of

A) reporting the results of a study that was never conducted.
B) discarding data that do not support the researcher's hypothesis so that the study produces "better" results.
C) changing some participants' scores so that they better fit the predictions made by the research hypothesis.
D) repeatedly conducting different types of statistical tests on a data set until significant results turn up.

Question 59

Professor Bulwark conducted a study of the effects of reading level on comprehension, but found no significant differences between the experimental and the control group. She changed her manipulation and ran the study again, but still found no significant differences. After once again making changes to her manipulation, the third study produced the expected results. She reports only results from Study Three. Professor Bulwark

A) increased her chances of committing a Type II error.
B) engaged in methodological tuning.
C) followed accepted ethical practices.
D) all of the above

Question 60

Professor Belanger was studying age differences in depression. She hypothesized that older people would have higher depression scores than younger people, but her results showed the opposite. She rewrote her introduction to show that the unexpected finding was actually her a priori prediction. Professor Belanger has engaged in

A) methodological tuning.
B) hypothesis re-centering.
C) HARKing.
D) post-experimental revisionism.

Question 61

To avoid methodological tuning, you should

A) refrain from pilot testing your manipulation until it "works."
B) report the results for all measures, regardless of whether the results were significant.
C) set your alpha level to .10 or higher.
D) all of the above

Question 62

Which of the following is NOT a way in which mistakes and errors in research can be corrected?

A) publishing new research that shows that previously published findings are incorrect
B) suing researchers for research misconduct
C) researchers requesting that a journal print a correction if they find that they have made a mistake
D) reporting a culpable error that you find after the article has been published.

Question 63

After a study has been published, a researcher realizes she has made an error. She should

A) post the error on her website and vita.
B) write a follow-up article based on the new analyses.
C) ask the journal editor to print a correction or retract the article.
D) do any of the above

Question 64

If a researcher reports the results of experiments that they have never conducted, they have engaged in

A) data duplicity.
B) data forgery.
C) methodological misconduct.
D) mendacity.

Question 65

Which of the following is NOT a positive outcome from recent widely-publicized cases of scientific misconduct in the social sciences?

A) Policies about research practices have changed toward greater transparency.
B) Researchers must now have their data verified by their Institutional Review Board prior to publication.
C) Researchers who have committed scientific misconduct have been removed from their positions.
D) Organizational leaders have instituted training programs that focus on scientific misconduct.

Question 66

Which of the following is NOT a red flag indicating potential scientific misconduct?

A) The researcher sidesteps or gives intimidating responses to questions about the research.
B) The method section of the research report does not clearly explain how the data were collected.
C) The study's findings are surprising and break new theoretical ground.
D) The raw data from the study are not made available to students or colleagues.

Question 67

Researcher Ethical wants to prevent scientific misconduct in her lab. Which of the following steps should she take?

A) Have her research assistants complete training modules about scientific misconduct.
B) Emphasize that success is defined by the quantity of work one produces.
C) Discourage students from conducting replication research as it might put them in the awkward position of questioning another researcher's findings.
D) Do any of the above.

Question 68

Scientific misconduct is MOST often identified

A) just after the results of the research are published.
B) when students or colleagues come forward about practices they have seen first hand.
C) by senior researchers whose career will not be affected by questioning a finding.
D) when a colleague conducts a secondary analysis of the data set.

Question 69

Which of the following is probably NOT a good step to take if you suspect someone of research misconduct?

A) Make sure that the situation really is one of misconduct and not one of simple error.
B) Tell several people about the case so that it does not get swept under the rug.
C) Keep notes so that you can accurately describe the nature of the suspected problem.
D) Informally discuss the situation with the person you suspect of having acted improperly.

Question 70

Making a formal accusation of research misconduct might be a better course of action than informally discussing the situation with the person you suspect of misconduct when

A) the incident might cause harm to research participants.
B) the incident might severely harm the reputation of your institution if it became public knowledge.
C) it is likely that the person involved would respond in a very negative manner.
D) any of the above situations occur.

Question 71

The authors of a manuscript are listed in order based on the authors'

A) prestige in the profession.
B) intellectual input to the research project.
C) seniority in the institution where the research was conducted.
D) role in obtaining the grant that funded the research.

Question 72

Which of the following contributions to a research project should be recognized with authorship credit on a manuscript based on that study?

A) conducting data analysis
B) data entry or coding
C) collecting data from research participants individually rather than in groups
D) any of the above

Question 73

A student volunteers to be part of a research team. She creates a Qualtrics survey based on the measures her professor has decided to use. She then conducts several experimental sessions over the course of the semester. If the professor publishes the results, the student can reasonably expect

A) to be acknowledged in a footnote on any manuscript that is based on those results.
B) a formal thank you letter.
C) to be an author on a publication that is based on those results.
D) any of the above

Question 74

Under what circumstances can a dissertation supervisor be listed as a first author on a publication resulting from that dissertation?

A) when the supervisor has designated the primary variables to be included
B) when the dissertation is based on archival data provided by the supervisor
C) when the study was conducted in the supervisor's lab using her or his equipment
D) none of the above

Question 75

Why is duplicate publication unethical?

A) It results in non-technical publications that cannot fully explain the importance of the research.
B) It encourages the proliferation of edited volumes based on already published research.
C) It distorts the scientific knowledge base by making it appear that more information is available on topic than actually exists.
D) It gives people an unfair advantage in the job market.

Question 76

__________ is taking the data from a single study and breaking it into pieces to increase the number of resulting publications.

A) Duplicate publication
B) Piecemeal publication
C) Double dipping
D) Plagiarism

Question 77

In which of the following situations is duplicate publication of research findings NOT acceptable?

A) A researcher is trying to increase her reputation by having a large number of publications.
B) A researcher analyzes an old data set to test new hypotheses.
C) For efficiency, data for two separate studies are collected at the same time.
D) Results of a longitudinal study are published at several stages of the research.

Question 78

Which of the following statements about plagiarism is FALSE?

A) It is possible to plagiarize others' work without being aware of it.
B) Most cases of plagiarism result from carelessness in citing sources, not intentional fraud.
C) The fair use doctrine means that authors can extensively quote others' work without requesting permission.
D) Plagiarism can include paraphrasing of others' work as well as direct copying.

Question 79

Which of the following publication practices would be considered to be ethical?

A) simultaneously submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal
B) revising a convention presentation for publication in a journal
C) taking the data from a single study and breaking it into pieces to increase the number of publications
D) submitting a manuscript that tests new hypotheses based on old data without citing the study that used the old data

Question 80

Researcher Carlson finds he can produce a manuscript that makes his point more clearly if he borrows text from his own previously published work. This practice is known as

A) reification.
B) text recycling.
C) duplicate publication.
D) piecemeal publication.