The prevalence and prevention of crosstalk: A multi-institutional study

John E. Edlund, Austin Lee Nichols, Bradley M. Okdie, Rosanna E. Guadagno, Cassie A. Eno, Jeremy D. Heider, Edward J. Hansen, Brad J. Sagarin, Ginette Blackhart, Catherine A. Cottrell, Kenneth Tyler Wilcox

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

It is a common problem in psychology subject pools for past study participants to inform future participants of key experimental details (also known as crosstalk). Previous research (Edlund, Sagarin, Skowronski, Johnson, & Kutter, 2009) demonstrated that a combined classroom and laboratory treatment could significantly reduce crosstalk. The present investigation tested a laboratory-only treatment for the prevention of crosstalk at five universities, along with institutional-level moderators of crosstalk. Results indicated the presence of crosstalk at all universities and that the laboratory-based treatment was effective in reducing crosstalk. Importantly, crosstalk rates were higher (but successfully neutralized) in research pools with higher research credit requirements. Therefore, this research provides valuable guidance regarding crosstalk prevalence and its minimization by researchers.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)181-185
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Social Psychology
Volume154
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 4 May 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Crosstalk
  • data integrity
  • participant pools
  • research methods
  • social influence

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The prevalence and prevention of crosstalk: A multi-institutional study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this