![]() ![]() In such an experiment, it is typical for each of the four possible combinations of stimulus color and stimulus location to be used on a very large number of trials (e.g., 50 or more of each). Richard Simon of the University of Iowa, starting in the 1960s.) The participants are asked to respond as quickly as possible while making very few errors. The location of the stimulus is irrelevant – only the color matters – but sometimes the stimulus appears on the left and sometimes it appears on the right. Starting with the second issue, imagine an experiment in which participants must press the left button if the stimulus is blue and the right button if the stimulus is orange. One issue concerns the storage of data: should all of the data from every participant be stored together in one file or should the data from each participant be stored separately? Another issue concerns the distinction between what can be called “raw data” – which are the individual observations as they were originally collected – and “pre-processed data” (or “data after pre-processing”) – which are the values that will be used for the formal analysis. The variety and potential complexity of psychological data raises at least two issues. Or maybe the participant is asked to perform a task many times, instead of just once, with multiple pieces of information (e.g., response time and response choice) recorded on every, separate trial. Or the questions might require more complicated responses, which could be numerical (e.g., “on a scale of 1 to 10, how attractive do you find this person to be?”) or qualitative (e.g., “what is your favorite color?”). Alternatively, maybe a series of questions are asked. For example, besides an answer to a yes-or-no question, certain demographic information (e.g., age, sex, etc.) might also be collected. Usually, however, quite a lot of information is gathered from each participant. In such a case, a list of the yes or no responses would be sufficient. In some (very rare) instances, the relevant data are quite simple, such as a single yes-or-no answer to one question that was asked of a sample of people. One useful saying that summarizes empirical science is that “while researchers are encouraged to argue about theory, everyone must agree on the data.” They must be organized and stored in a logical and standardized manner and format, allowing for their free exchange between researchers. Because of their crucial role, psychological data must be handled carefully and treated with respect. ![]() ![]() If the data match the predictions, the theory survives if the data fail to confirm the predictions, the theory is falsified (which is a fancy way of saying disproved). This means that psychological theories are tested by comparing their predictions to actual observations, which are often referred to as data. Introduction to Statistics for Psychological Science Psychological Data ![]()
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