Question

Four research assistants were asked to observe a gamer and count the number of times the gamer exhibited aggressive behaviors during a one hour gaming session. The first research assistant counted five aggressive behaviors, the second recorded eight, the third observed only two, and the fourth observed ten. If we assume that the research assistants are equally accurate in what they observed, what is the mostly explanation for these discrepancies?

Answer 1

There could be several explanations for the discrepancies in the number of aggressive behaviors observed by the research assistants, but the most likely explanation is that the observations were subjective and prone to bias.

1. Observer bias: The research assistants may have different definitions of what constitutes aggressive behavior, or they may have different levels of sensitivity to detecting aggressive behaviors. This can lead to different interpretations of the same behavior and result in different counts.

2. Different focus: The research assistants may have focused on different aspects of the gaming session and paid attention to different details, resulting in different counts.

3. Fatigue: The research assistants may have become less attentive or less accurate in their counting as the gaming session progressed, which could explain why some of the counts are higher than others.

4. Confirmation bias: Research assistants may have been more likely to notice behaviors that confirm their preconceptions about the gamer, leading to counts that are higher or lower than what was actually observed.

5. Different cultural background: Research assistants from different cultural background may have different understanding of what is aggressive behavior.