Measuring differences: comparing Gould and Hancock et al.

Overview

Recall questions on the similarities between Gould and Hancock et al. in topic, data, quantification, social sensitivity, samples and validity, their differences in research type, data size, measures, objectivity, consent and use, and what the pair adds on measuring differences and cultural diversity.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Give one similarity in what the two studies concern.

   Model answer

   Both examine how a psychological characteristic that varies between people can be measured, and the problems that such measurement creates.

2. 2

   What do the two studies have in common in the type of data they worked from?

   Model answer

   Both analysed material that already existed or was produced naturally, rather than manipulating variables in a controlled experiment.

3. 3

   Give one similarity in how each turned something psychological into numbers.

   Model answer

   Gould's article concerns scores derived from test items and Hancock et al. counted the frequencies of word categories, so in both cases a person is reduced to figures.

4. 4

   Why are both studies socially sensitive?

   Model answer

   Both attach a damaging label to a group of people, so both carry the risk of being used to justify unfair treatment.

5. 5

   Give one similarity in the composition of the samples.

   Model answer

   Both consisted entirely of men, so neither tells us how the measure would behave with women.

6. 6

   What consequence of measurement do both studies illustrate?

   Model answer

   In both cases the outcome of the measurement carries serious real-world consequences for the people measured, from immigration law to forensic decisions.

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