Use Of Student Samples Research Articles

A Critical Approach to Investigating Communication Practices of Marginalized Populations Using Longitudinal Field Experiments

ABSTRACTResearch on information and communication technologies conducted with a vulnerable sample consists of a unique host of challenges not experienced in research with oft-used student samples. This article suggests that field experiments, conducted through a self-reflexive critical studies lens, are one way that communication researchers may address some of these barriers while keeping in mind sensitivity to inherent power imbalances. While considering the ongoing debate regarding the use of student samples in communication research, this paper examines one longitudinal field experiment that investigated the role of stable ICT access on health outcomes. We discuss the power dynamics at play in the relationships between the primary investigator, research assistants, and participants as well as describe the tradeoffs that are considered in this type of work. The marrying of the positivistic approach of field experiment with a critical studies lens can benefit a growing body of scholarship from various epistemological traditions, invested in socially conscious research within marginalized communities. We provide a self-reflexive analysis of our study along with practical recommendations within the context of our challenges and successes.

The External Validity of College Student Subject Pools in Experimental Research: A Cross-Sample Comparison of Treatment Effect Heterogeneity

Are student subject experiment pools comparable across institutions? Despite repeated concerns over the “college sophomore problem,” many experiment-based studies still rely on student subject pools due to their convenience and accessibility. In this paper, I investigate whether student subject pools are comparable across universities by examining how respondents across three student subject pools at distinct educational institutions perform on the same survey experiment about crisis bargaining between states. I argue that, due to selection biases inherent in university matriculation and the self-selection of students into experimental protocols, respondents across these subject pools will exhibit key demographic differences. I also examine whether respondents across these subject pools think similarly about international politics and respond comparably to experimental treatments. I find that, while there are significant demographic differences across subject pools, subjects across institutions respond similarly to experimental treatments—with the key exception of information regarding the regime type of a state. Furthermore, there is little evidence that these demographic differences impact conditional average treatment effects across subgroups. These findings carry critical implications for the use of student samples across political science and within international relations more specifically, particularly regarding the current replication crisis in the discipline.

Are college students really at a higher risk for stalking?: Exploring the generalizability of student samples in victimization research

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the validity of student samples for victimization research. Research has suggested that college students are at a higher risk for stalking, yet no study has directly compared experiences of college students and the general public. MethodsUsing data from the 2006 stalking supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, we directly compare stalking experiences among respondents enrolled in an institute of higher education (n=4,266) and those within the general public (n=60,330). Additionally, we examined differential experiences among college and non-college stalking victims in relation to stalking acknowledgement, tech-facilitated stalking, and the victims' decision to contact the police. ResultsAnalyses found that college students were at a greater risk for stalking victimization. Additionally, college students were more likely to be stalked through the use of technology and identify their experience as ‘stalking.’ When the sample was limited to stalking victims between the ages of 18–24, however, no significant differences were found except for contacting the police. Attending college, however, does not increase one's risk for stalking, as the risk is mainly driven by individual differences versus student status. ConclusionsThere is some evidence supporting the continued use of student samples for victimization research, yet attention to measurement and sampling are paramount.

Mock juror sampling issues in jury simulation research: A meta-analysis.

The advantages and disadvantages of jury simulation research have often been debated in the literature. Critics chiefly argue that jury simulations lack verisimilitude, particularly through their use of student mock jurors, and that this limits the generalizabilty of the findings. In the present article, the question of sample differences (student v. nonstudent) in jury research was meta-analyzed for 6 dependent variables: 3 criminal (guilty verdicts, culpability, and sentencing) and 3 civil (liability verdicts, continuous liability, and damages). In total, 53 studies (N = 17,716) were included in the analysis (40 criminal and 13 civil). The results revealed that guilty verdicts, culpability ratings, and damage awards did not vary with sample. Furthermore, the variables that revealed significant or marginally significant differences, sentencing and liability judgments, had small or contradictory effect sizes (e.g., effects on dichotomous and continuous liability judgments were in opposite directions). In addition, with the exception of trial presentation medium, moderator effects were small and inconsistent. These results may help to alleviate concerns regarding the use of student samples in jury simulation research. (PsycINFO Database Record

Cost vs credibility: the student sample trap in business research

Purpose This paper focuses on the problems inherent in the use of student samples in business research. Design/methodology/approach The subject is examined through the opinions of prior researchers, and the pros and cons are presented. The issues of internal and external validity are discussed, and the dangers of theory development without proper application are highlighted. Findings Business researchers are cautioned, especially in the case of scale development and cross-cultural research, to avoid the use of student samples. Originality/value While this subject has been the source of debate for many years, business researchers are still regularly using student samples for their research. The dangers are too great to simply be ignored because the price is right.

The academic conceptualisation of ethical clothing

Purpose Despite supposed widespread consumer support for ethical clothing, it still often fails to translate into actual purchase. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the way in which academics have defined and measured ethical clothing could account for this. Design/methodology/approach An over reliance on convenience sampling and the use of student samples has also been touted as a possible reason for this attitude-behaviour gap. To address this, this study employed a consumer household sample. It also used a quantitative survey approach to collect its data and structural equation modelling to analyse it. Findings In contrast to the way in which academics have conceptualised the construct, consumer perceptions of ethical clothing were found to be influenced by four dimensions: environmental responsibility, employee welfare, animal welfare and slow fashion attributes. Originality/value Ethical clothing has typically been operationalised using just two of these four dimensions. Ironically, one of the two dimensions often overlooked by academics – animal welfare – had the strongest influence on consumer perceptions. Previous academic efforts had never employed more than three dimensions, and yet the results of this study suggest that all four must be present if an item of clothing is to be regarded as “ethical”.

Does it pay to break male gender stereotypes in advertising? A comparison of advertisement effectiveness between the United Kingdom, Poland and South Africa

Advertisers shy away from using non-traditional (vs. traditional) male gender portrayals even though theory suggests they may be more effective cross-nationally. Two main hypotheses were tested cross-nationally for the first time. H1: ‘paternalistic’ male stereotypes (e.g. Househusband) would be more effective than ‘envious’ male stereotypes (e.g. Businessman) across countries confirming the stereotype content model (SCM). H2: the match between initial male gender role attitudes and advertisement type would increase advertisement effectiveness only in countries with relatively low egalitarian norms (i.e. Poland and South Africa). A cross-national study was conducted through the use of student samples following a 3(country: United Kingdom, Poland and South Africa) × 2(advertisement type) × (gender attitude) mixed design (N = 373). A three-way multivariate analysis of variance showed support for H1 and partial support for H2 (i.e. the second hypothesis held on purchase intent and for South Africa). The study provides evidence for the cross-national applicability of the SCM to advertising and the limited predictive value of gender attitudes for purchase intent depending on country. Thus, contrary to mainstream advertising practices, breaking male gender stereotypes does appear to pay cross-nationally. Theoretical and practical implications alongside the potential for change in practices are discussed.

Parasocial relationships with audiences’ favorite celebrities: The role of audience and celebrity characteristics in a representative Flemish sample

AbstractThis article provides insight into one form of audience involvement with celebrities: parasocial relationships (PSR). To address several shortcomings in PSR research – focus on TV, confusion between PSI (parasocial interaction) and PSR, use of student samples, neglect of socio-demographic variables – a representative online survey was conducted with 1000 Flemish adults who indicated 382 celebrities as favorites. A new scale reveals that PSR contain two important elements: emotional connections and an analogy with social relationships. Confirming previous research, most favorite celebrities are male, and cultural proximity is especially important for older respondents. In one combined model, respondents’ and celebrities’ (socio-demographic) characteristics are included as potential PSR predictors. This model nuances previous research and reveals that people who are male, older, more lowly-educated, and interested in celebrity news have stronger PSR. Further, stronger PSR are found for local and religious, political, sports, and music celebrities than for film celebrities.

Antecedents of Trust in Electronic-Service Providers: Results from a Meta-Analysis

Consumers' trust beliefs are considered amongst the most important psychological states influencing their online behavior. Understanding the antecedents of consumer trust is thus of both academic and practical interest. Research into these antecedents has however been disconnected, and has not been integrated to provide an answer as to which are the most significant antecedents of trust. To address this problem, we synthesized the antecedents of trust in e-service through a meta-analysis of 67 previously published studies. The findings showed that structural assurance (STA), reputation (REP), perceived usefulness (PU), system quality (SYQ) and service quality (SEQ) demonstrate the strongest effect sizes on trust. Furthermore, vendor size (SIZ) and privacy protection (PRC) also affect trust, but to a lesser degree. Moreover, we found trust can be usefully integrated with constructs from the TAM and IS Success models. We considered explanations for identified heterogeneity in effect sizes through moderator analysis. We found that cultural context of the study almost moderated all the effect sizes, and certain effect sizes were also moderated by factors such as the type of e-service and the use of student samples. Results are important to guiding future e-services research and helping practitioners to better build e-service promotion strategy.

Global vs local brands: how home country bias and price differences impact brand evaluations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to re-conceptualize the distinction between global and local brands, providing a more comprehensive framework, which considers both geographical distribution and ownership. It examines main and interactive effects of consumers’ perceptions of these factors, and studies how ethnocentrism (CET) and price affect brand evaluations, considering a range of price difference thresholds. Design/methodology/approach – A preliminary study (n=243) examined main and interaction effects of brand globalness and ownership on consumers’ brand quality attitudes and purchase intentions in four different product categories. The main study (n=558) further explored brand ownership effects by examining the interaction of CET and price differences. Findings – The preliminary study confirmed the distinctiveness of brand globalness and ownership. Consumers evaluated global (vs non-global) brands more positively, regardless of brand ownership (local vs foreign). The main study found that effects of price and CET varied considerably across product categories. Research limitations/implications – Limitations include the use of student samples from a single country (Thailand), and of scenarios instead of real life purchase decisions. Practical implications – The findings suggest that perceived brand globalness positively impacts brand evaluations. Companies may cultivate a global brand image by emphasizing global cues. Local origin allows (global) brands to command a price premium, although this varies across product categories. An emphasis on globalness seems valuable, especially for local brands. Originality/value – This research offers a refined conceptualization of brand globalness, a key construct in international marketing. Additional value is provided by studying price effects, which have received limited attention in international marketing, and substantial data collection (total N>800) in an understudied yet important economy (Thailand).

Research Commentary—Generalizability of Information Systems Research Using Student Subjects—A Reflection on Our Practices and Recommendations for Future Research

Information systems researchers, like those in many other disciplines in the social sciences, have debated the value and appropriateness of using students as research subjects. This debate appears in several articles that have been published on the subject as well as in the review process. In this latter arena, however, the debate has become increasingly like a script—the actors (authors and reviewers) simply read their parts of the script; some avoid the underlying issues whereas others cursorily address generalizability without real consideration of those issues. As a result, despite the extent of debate, we seem no closer to a resolution. Authors who use student subjects rely on their scripted arguments to justify the use of student subjects and do not always consider whether those arguments are valid. But reviewers who oppose the use of student subjects are equally culpable. They, too, rely on scripted arguments to criticize work using student subjects, and do not always consider whether those arguments are salient to the particular study. By presenting and reviewing one version of this script in the context of theoretical discussions of generalizability, we hope to demonstrate its limitations so that we can move beyond these scripted arguments into a more meaningful discussion. To do this, we review empirical studies from the period 1990–2010 to examine the extent to which student subjects are being used in the field and to critically assess the discussions within the field about the use of student samples. We conclude by presenting recommendations for authors and reviewers, for determining whether the use of students is appropriate in a particular context, and for presenting and discussing work that uses student subjects.

When Student Samples Make Sense in Logistics Research

The use of student samples in logistics research is a controversial issue that often invokes vigorous debate among scholars. Critics of the practice claim that students are not able to realistically describe logistics phenomena and do not represent a generalizable cross-section of practicing managers. These claims are valid for survey studies or qualitative methods that have traditionally dominated logistics research. However, in behavioral experiments that are focused on maximizing precision and control, student samples are often justified because of homogeneous sampling requirements and boundary conditions that include students within a theoretical framework. The objectives of this forward looking article are to explain when and why student samples are often appropriate in logistics research, generate additional discussion about the topic, and ultimately facilitate the growth of behavioral experimentation in logistics research.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING STUDENT SAMPLES

Researchers often face strong opposition to the use of student samples in laboratory studies. Rather than eschewing this methodology, it is useful to consider theoretical scope (universalistic versus particularistic) and the study's primary purpose (internal versus external validity). When theories are universalistic or the study's purpose is to establish internally valid relationships, laboratory studies with student samples may yield useful insights in supply chain management research.

Comparing Chinese and American attitudes towards complaining

PurposeThe current research aims to explore the possible effects of attitude towards complaining (ATC) on intention to remain loyal to hotels and to compare Chinese and American ATC in this perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe sample of the study consisted of Chinese and American graduate students, who were selected through the non‐probability convenience sampling technique. A total of 1,822 questionnaires were found to be useful and data from these questionnaires were tested through SPSS and LISREL statistical software.FindingsFindings indicate that culture clearly affects ATC and general intention to stay loyal which suggests that practitioners should consider the cultural background of their customers while designing and implementing their service recovery systems. Results show that Chinese respondents tend to forgive and forget failures, whereas Americans seek a remedy from third parties.Research limitations/implicationsOnly relationships between ATC and loyalty were investigated in this research; thus inclusion of other dimensions would provide further insights. Although the use of student sample and scenario is well‐justified and a common practice, future studies may consider collecting data from actual tourists. Data analyzed in this research were cross‐sectional and collected using convenience sampling; future studies may use random sampling and consider conducting longitudinal research.Originality/valueThere is a paucity of cross‐cultural research investigating ATC. China and America's current and potential significance in global tourism is undeniable. Moreover, they are ideal examples of their respective culture clusters; thus studying Chinese and American ATC provides significant insights for both industry practitioners and academics.

Predictors, consequence, and measurement of ethical judgments: Review and meta-analysis

As a central construct in theories of ethical decision making, ethical judgments have been the subject of more than one hundred empirical studies. Despite its size, the ethical judgments literature seems to lack clarity in three areas. First, empirical results are sometimes inconsistent or contradictory across studies. Second, a broad array of diverse measures of ethical judgments raises concerns about research validity. Third, differences in sample composition may affect comparability of study results. To help resolve these issues, this study conducts a review and meta-analysis of the ethical judgments literature. The results offer insights in all three areas. They help resolve some of the inconsistencies in the relationships between ethical judgments and certain theoretical antecedents; they support the use of diverse measures of ethical judgments; and they offer caution in the use of student samples in ethical judgments research.

Challenging experiences: gender differences in task choice

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine: gender differences in the choice to perform challenging tasks, gender differences in the actual performance of challenging tasks, and the impact of challenging experiences on supervisors' evaluations of individuals' potential for career advancement.Design/methodology/approachIn study 1, a sample of 158 students participated in a laboratory study that examined gender differences in choosing to perform challenging tasks in a situation that stressed individual performance. In study 2, a sample of 93 interns completed questionnaires in which the authors measured their challenging job experiences. Interns' supervisors evaluated interns' potential for career advancement.FindingsIn an achievement situation, women chose to perform fewer challenging tasks than men (study 1). During their internships, females had fewer challenging job experiences than males (study 2). Having challenging experiences was positively related to supervisors' evaluations of interns' potential for career advancement (study 2).Research limitations/implicationsThe use of student samples may be considered a limitation of these studies. However, the nature of the research questions justifies an initial examination among students. Moreover, small gender differences in experiences at the start of individuals' careers may ultimately lead to increasing discrepancies between men's and women's careers.Originality/valueThe study is the first to examine individuals' own impact on the extent to which they experience job challenge. Moreover, it is the first that empirically examines the relationship between job challenge and evaluations of career potential.

The state and evolution of information systems research in canada: a scientometric analysis

AbstractThis paper investigates the state and evolution of information systems (IS) research in Canada as reflected in publications of the proceedings of the annual conference of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada from 1974 to 2007. We present a scientometric analysis of (a) individual and institutional research outputs; (b) differences in three productivity score calculation methods: straight count, equal credit, and author position; (c) study topics; (d) research methods; and (e) use of student samples. Copyright © 2008 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

College Sophomores in the Laboratory Redux: Influences of a Narrow Data Base on Social Psychology's View of the Nature of Prejudice

Twenty years have passed since Sears (1986) alerted social psychologists to the many possible dangers faced by relying on a database composed mostly of students, especially with respect to the generalizability of the theoretical conclusions we come to. With a focus this time on the prejudice literature, this article examines how much has changed in our approach to whom we study. Content analyses show that prejudice researchers who publish in social psychology's major journals continue to rely heavily on student samples. Next, data are presented showing that important differences may exist between student and nonstudent participants in terms of how prejudice-related variables are expressed and used. The article concludes by raising metatheoretical concerns about the continued use of student samples both in the conclusions we arrive at as a science and in the very topics we study in the prejudice literature, with various recommendations suggested for decreasing this trend in relying on such a narrow database.

On use of Student Samples for Scale Construction

This research note responds to the question of whether a convenience sample of undergraduate students may be successfully utilized in concept development and in scale construction, and in what way the results are comparable to the findings of a representative national sample. The results of a Mokken analysis in both samples support the hypothesis that convenience samples have utility in concept development and in developing measures that can also be used in representative samples.

Sex determination using PCR

PCR has revolutionized many aspects of biochemistry and molecular biology research. In the following exercise, students learn PCR by isolating their own DNA, amplifying specific segments of the X and Y chromosomes, and estimating the sizes of the PCR products using agarose gel electrophoresis. Based on the pattern of PCR products, students can distinguish between male and female samples and determine the gender of an unknown DNA donor. The exercise is presented for upper division undergraduate majors in microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology, but can be adapted to different academic levels and disciplines. The use of student samples in the exercise can enhance learning of these techniques by making PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis directly relevant to the students.