CPSC 1100 Assignment 2 Blog Post 3: Errors in the Research Methods

Some of the mistakes that researchers make while doing their study could include an inaccurate observation which would mean that sometimes we forget what we saw or we are so sure that we did really see something but in reality it was just our brain making it up. Also, another error that we could make is overgeneralization which is when we look for patterns among the specific things we observe around us, and we often assume that a few similar events are evidence of a general pattern. We mostly overgeneralize most when there is pressure to reach a general understanding, however it still occurs when there is no pressure. Selective observation is when once we have concluded that a particular pattern exists and have developed a general understanding of why, we will be tempted to pay attention to future events and situations that correspond with the pattern and to ignore those that do not. This is a very common mistake we also make in our everyday lives. People have various ways of handling observations that contradict their judgements about the way things are. Surely one of the most remarkable creations of the human mind is the maxim about the exception that proves the rule, an idea that makes no sense at all. An exception can draw attention to a rule to a supposed rule, but in no system of logic can it probe the rule it contradicts. Yet we often use this pithy saying to brush away contradictions with a simple stroke of illogic. Also, crime is important social problem, and there is a lot of controversy that is involved. People fear racial bias in police and practices and sentencing policies. There are many things that can go wrong when doing a study, these are a few of the errors that can be noticed and fixed.