More or Less: Behind the Stats A TikTok tale
Nov 21, 2021
A viral TikTok video turned the tables on academic research, dramatically reshaping participant demographics. Teenage girls flocked to studies, presenting new challenges for researchers reliant on online platforms like Prolific. The discussion dives into the ripple effects of social media trends on data collection and the potential pitfalls, including bot interference. Traditional research methods are examined, raising questions about the future of participant recruitment in academia. It's a fascinating look at the unexpected power of social media in the research landscape.
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Internet's Impact on Research
- The internet has transformed how academics conduct research, similar to online dating.
- Online platforms now connect researchers with participants easily.
MTurk's Evolution
- Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) was initially for commercial microtasks.
- Academics now use platforms like MTurk for surveys and data collection.
Teenage Girl Influx
- Researchers reported a surge of teenage girls in their online studies.
- This was traced back to a TikTok influencer recommending Prolific, a platform for academic research.