Academic value of research participation by undergraduates.

Coulter, Xenia

doi:10.1037/0003-066x.41.3.317.a

Cited by 30 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Because this study was the first to investigate participant feelings about randomization, it was advisable to first test a non-patient sample; however, extrapolation from undergraduate samples is controversial (Coulter, 1986;Sears, 1986). Although we might expect the pattern of results to be In addition, it should be noted that many behavioral trials compare different treatment groups.…”

Section: Study Limitations and Strengthsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of Participant Preferences in Unblinded Randomized Controlled Trials

Floyd

Moyer

2010

Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics

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Little research has deliberately investigated the effects of participant preferences for treatment condition in unblinded randomized controlled trials. We designed a study with a non-patient sample comparing a randomized arm to a preference arm of the same trial to investigate: (1) whether having a choice to select one's preference affects feelings about participation, belief in treatment effectiveness, treatment contamination, intervention adherence and engagement, and trial attrition; and (2) the interaction of preferences and treatment assignment on these variables. Contamination and attrition were rare and excluded from analyses. There was no effect of choice. Participants mismatched to preference felt less positive about their experience, but this did not affect belief in treatment, adherence, or engagement. Stronger effects may occur for patient populations.

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Section: Study Limitations and Strengthsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of Participant Preferences in Unblinded Randomized Controlled Trials

Floyd

Moyer

2010

Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics

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“…For example, during 1980, 75% of articles published in three mainstream social psychology journals used only undergraduate research participants (Sears, 1986). However, research on the reactivity of this potentially unmotivated, cynical, or even resentful group (Brody, Gluck, & Aragon, 2000;Coulter, 1986), even apart from concerns regarding external validity (King, Bailly, & Moe, 2004;Sears, 1986;Ward, 1993), is sparse (Britton, 1979;Britton, Richardson, Smith, & Hamilton, 1983).…”

Section: Research Participant Recruitment: Strategies and Further Inqmentioning

confidence: 96%

Psychomethodology: The Psychology of Human Participation in Science

Moyer¹

2009

J Psych Sci Technol

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The psychology of science has typically focused on the psychology of the scientist or experimenter.A neglected perspective has been the psychology of the participant in scientific research. Social science and biomedical researchers face a number of challenges when working with human participants, such as selective enrollment, aversion to random assignment, differential attrition, and low engagement.These challenges, rooted in the psychology of research participants, are not simply logistical problems but threaten the integrity of the otherwise rigorous methodology that ensures the internal and external validity of research. Such threats, unfortunately, have not been systematically examined. This review considers predominantly serendipitously documented evidence that such problems arise in typical research practice and discusses potential remedies. The review focuses upon challenges related to participant recruitment, reactivity, and retention in research. Deliberate, systematic investigation of the ways in which psychological factors interact with research methodology could help inform empirically based measures to ensure the validity of research with human participants. Social and behavioral scientists' expertise in psychological theory related to individuals' perceptions, attitudes, and behavior could very fruitfully contribute to this effort.

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“…It also provides a context for dialogue between student and researcher, in which students may be able to clarify the meaning of their responses, or indeed provide alternative interpretations of the material presented which the researcher may not have considered. As Coulter (1986) notes, it is unfortunate that this practice has been mainly confined to experiments involving stress or deception, rather than being the normal expectation of any research project involving students.…”

Section: James R Dmlielmentioning

confidence: 99%

Students as research subjects: Ethical and educational issues

Dalziel

1996

Australian Psychologist

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This paper evaluates the ethical and educational questions provoked by student participation in psychological research as a course requirement. Both conceptual arguments and empirical evidence are presented in favour of the practice's educational value, and the author argues that a preoccupation with “coercion” is misguided, given the comparability of participation with other equally coercive course expectations such as attendance, essays, and exams. The argument regarding “experimenter gain” is also placed in an educational context, and the mutually beneficial nature of interaction between students and academics is emphasised. The current Australian Psychological Society's (1994) guidelines for the ethical conduct of research are also discussed from an educational perspective: the lack of clarity surrounding the ethics of student participation in experiments is identified, and the need for clarification is suggested. Methods for improving the educational value of participation are discussed, and integration with coursework, debriefing, and feedback are suggested as pedagogical tools. Final comments touch on the wider context of student participation in research beyond “subject pools”, historical changes in participation practices, and the need for accurate and uncomplicated language in communication with student subjects.

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Academic value of research participation by undergraduates.

Cited by 30 publications

References 3 publications

Effects of Participant Preferences in Unblinded Randomized Controlled Trials

Effects of Participant Preferences in Unblinded Randomized Controlled Trials

Psychomethodology: The Psychology of Human Participation in Science

Students as research subjects: Ethical and educational issues

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