The ‘item to archive’ that I liked the most was the first one. I liked asking people their opinions and seeing how guiding questions can influence their answers. The people that I asked if they thought that opposites attracted, would only make a case that supported that. The same was true for similarities attract, the group only made cases that supported that. This shows that there is no real conclusion that can be drawn from either statement. Examples can be given that support and negate both statements.
This activity showed me more about how surveying and interviewing can easily be influenced by the individual asking the questions. Both phrasing and the information that is given to the participant can sway their response. I’m sure if I asked either party the opposing question instead, they would have been able to come up with evidence to support that claim as well. It is also interesting to see what individuals use to support their claims. Some participants gave examples of movies while others discussed their personal experiences. Personally, the personal experience holds more merit to me than movies because editing plays a large role in how each character is perceived. There were more personal experience examples when posed the question “Do opposites attract?” then when asked, “Does similarity lead to attraction?” which leads me to believe that there may be more merit in the former than the latter. Although, as previously stated, nothing conclusive can be drawn from this.
My knowledge of research and research techniques has been broadened through this activity. I have learned in class that it is important to understand how powerful the wording of questions can be, but seeing it in real-time was a different experience. I was sure that some people would try and play ‘devil’s advocate’ and argue for the other side, but when presented with no other option, people defended what they were given. As I continue my career in psychology, I will pay extra attention to ensuring that I am not setting up biased results based on wording or lack of information/options.
