Prolific Academic Survey Alerts

MollyR

Most studies and other surveys are very suspicious of "straight-lining" answers, as it gives the impression that the respondent hasn't given any thought to the questions but just ticked all the way down a column.  However, I would have thought that when a respondent makes the point you have made, and particularly when other questions in the same study have been answered to the researcher's satisfaction, the respondent should be given the benefit of the doubt.  YMMV!

CheckDigit

MollyR said:

Most studies and other surveys are very suspicious of "straight-lining" answers, as it gives the impression that the respondent hasn't given any thought to the questions but just ticked all the way down a column.  However, I would have thought that when a respondent makes the point you have made, and particularly when other questions in the same study have been answered to the researcher's satisfaction, the respondent should be given the benefit of the doubt.  YMMV!

I could understand the problem if the answers were contradictory. However, I spent over 10 minutes on this study (average was 8 minutes) and also gave thought to all of the options. Also, from my recollection, there were many similar questions (e.g. "How annoyed did you feel?" "How angry did you feel?", "How frustrated were you?"). Would she have preferred me to randomly select scores as long as they were different?

MollyR

I complete (not on Prolific) some regular surveys about how I feel during the pandemic.  I regularly give zero answers for the sort of questions you mention, plus ones which ask about more dangerous mental health issues (e.g. suicidal impulses);  I have never been marked down for it.  I would have thought that a researcher would be delighted to find that a respondent had experienced no unwanted or inappropriate emotional responses!

Ivana_B_Rich

CheckDigit said:

I had the following conversation with a researcher recently. It seems unfair to me that she wants to reject my submission simply because I gave the same rating for a set of questions.

Researcher: Could you return your submission?

11 Aug 2020, 17:14

Me: Why? I completed it.

11 Aug 2020, 17:43

Researcher: too many same scores

11 Aug 2020, 18:03

Me: What do you mean? If I felt the same way regarding the questions that were posed then surely that is what I should put. Otherwise, it is being dishonest.

11 Aug 2020, 18:04

Researcher: Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with the quality of the data you provided, too many same scores in one question. Could you return your submission? Thanks.

15 Aug 2020, 11:00

Me: It is perfectly plausible to have the same score when the questions are similar (or even if they are not). You will need to provide an example of why the "same score" is unacceptable. Otherwise I will raise this with Prolific is you do not accept my submission without good reason.

15 Aug 2020, 11:15

Surely the research will be useless or invalid if the researcher only chooses the submissions that suit the outcome they want. I've no knowledge of research but I'd expect that if the researcher disregards certain data this would introduce bias?

CheckDigit said:

I could understand the problem if the answers were contradictory. However, I spent over 10 minutes on this study (average was 8 minutes) and also gave thought to all of the options. Also, from my recollection, there were many similar questions (e.g. "How annoyed did you feel?" "How angry did you feel?", "How frustrated were you?"). Would she have preferred me to randomly select scores as long as they were different?

I agree, when the questions are similar surely the expectation would be similar responses. I appreciate the 'straight-lining' thing and I've no doubt that it happens but surely that's what attention checks are for. I hope you get paid, at the very least I think you have a good case if you have to raise it.

littlegreenant

18 minutes survey "Investigating perception of self and society and cognitive reasoning"

Hosted by essex.ac.uk

£1.60 18 minutes £5.18/hr 240 places remaining

littlegreenant

Reading English Sentences (TopSitSubjObj)

Hosted by umass.edu

£1.01 10 minutes £5.73/hr 9 places remaining

sebloak

littlegreenant said:

Simple writing task and a few questions

Hosted by Socialpsy pku

£0.60 14 minutes £2.44/hr 10 places remaining


so many underpaying at the moment...

More and more leaving them for the full 21 days to auto approve too.

sebloak

DiamondLil said:

Can I ask please - is there another way of accessing the studies other than them appearing on my 'studies' page ? Am I missing something ?  Thanks.

No.  Thats the only way to access them. Theres usually a lull in the summer holidays.

CheckDigit

Max. 15-minute survey on meeting other people

Hosted by Till Kastendieck

£1.8815 minutes £7.34/hr 4 places remaining

littlegreenant

Memories about exercise/physical activity experiences (£9 total reimbursement)

Hosted by Adam Boulby

£9.00 25 minutes £20.34/hr 0 places remaining