We all formulate questions based upon the answer we want to hear.
Isn’t that that the truth? You see, there, I formulated a question in such a way as to make the response inevitably a “Yes.”
In theory, this is all just a word game. In science, researchers formulating questions to answers they already know (or suspect) leads to data that is inherently biased (yet not acknowledged as such in peer-reviewed journals).
This is the basis of Grohol’s Bias Principle, which you’ll hear more about in the new year!
Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.Like this author?
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 28 Dec 2004
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
APA Reference
Grohol, J. (2004). Questions to Answers We Already Know. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 25, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2004/12/28/questions-to-answers-we-already-know/
Grohol, J. (2004). Questions to Answers We Already Know. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 25, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2004/12/28/questions-to-answers-we-already-know/
