Artifact (social research)
In empirical social research, artifacts are falsifications of measurement results caused by reactivity in observations, surveys, interviews and in the collection and analysis of data. In order to compensate for artifacts, one can, for example, randomize test subject groups . Since this is often not possible or ethically incompatible with certain experiments, investigations on the largest possible groups of test subjects are sought. Another possibility of avoiding distortions caused by artifacts is to collect sociodemographic features or individual characteristics of test subjects and to use statistical correction methods to calculate falsifications of the measurement result.
see also: response tendency
Common artifacts in surveys
- Misinterpretation of instructions
- Sequence effects (fatigue, training effects)
- Hawthorne effect (increased motivation due to knowing that you are being watched)
- Social desirability (response behavior is based on social norms)
- Sponsorship bias (assumptions about the intentions of those who commissioned surveys)
- Context effects (influence of mood on responses)
- Judgment heuristics (illogical but time-saving conclusions)
- Presence effects (influenced response behavior by certain people present)