Prolific survey

[somelady]

Did anyone else take this survey on prolific: 

 Memory Study 5A
By mcgill.ca

In this study we will ask you to recall common knowledge from memory without using the internet, a smartphone, or other resources.

The survey asked you to name top 10 best selling fiction books.

Does anyone think this is common knowledge? 
 I don't know any bestselling books  and I stated that in the survey. I go rejected.

Dear participant,
I am rejecting your submission to my study "Memory Study 5A" for the following reasons:
 - Didn't answer essential questions

 - Gave no study data

Please contact me if you wish to contest this rejection.

  Of course I contested it, haven't heard back yet but this really got me PO'd. I don't think this is common knowledge. I don't think this is a good subject for a survey unless it it done in literary circles.

I didn't copy the contact info to complain about how the survey was conducted, your rights,etc. Which is different from contact info for the researcher. I really want to report this researcher for this survey expecting people to know this and for thinking this is common knowledge.

 

[mnleona]

I would not have been able to answer the question. I am not on this site.

[dawn_b_adams]

10 hours ago, somelady said:

Did anyone else take this survey on Prolific: 

 Memory Study 5A
By mcgill.ca

In this study we will ask you to recall common knowledge from memory without using the internet, a smartphone, or other resources.

The survey asked you to name top 10 best selling fiction books.

Does anyone think this is common knowledge? 
 I don't know any bestselling books  and I stated that in the survey. I go rejected.

Dear participant,
I am rejecting your submission to my study "Memory Study 5A" for the following reasons:
 - Didn't answer essential questions

 - Gave no study data

Please contact me if you wish to contest this rejection.

  Of course I contested it, haven't heard back yet but this really got me PO'd. I don't think this is common knowledge. I don't think this is a good subject for a survey unless it it done in literary circles.

I didn't copy the contact info to complain about how the survey was conducted, your rights,etc. Which is different from contact info for the researcher. I really want to report this researcher for this survey expecting people to know this and for thinking this is common knowledge.

 

Question for you. Did the part before you accepted the study state you would have to name top 10 best selling fiction books? If not, I would contest it with the researcher and ask them if you can just return the survey. That way, you won't have a black mark.

[somelady]

On 7/8/2022 at 3:41 PM, dawn_b_adams said:

Question for you. Did the part before you accepted the study state you would have to name top 10 best selling fiction books? If not, I would contest it with the researcher and ask them if you can just return the survey. That way, you won't have a black mark.

No it did not. I did contest it. 

Me:I answered your questions, I just didn't give the answers you wanted because as I stated on one of the questions I don't pay attention to best selling fiction books. You can not expect every one to know what the top10 best selling books are. I don't read books much anymore and  lot of people don't. I really don't see see the purpose of this survey especially as a memory survey. I want to know  how can you expect a lot of people to memorize memorize a top 10 best seller list. What is the purpose of this?
This isn't common knowledge

Them: Thank you for your feedback. If we repeat this design in the future, we will include more details about the type of information to be recalled in the study description along with a reminder that participants can return the study without completing if they are not able to provide 10 responses. This study is related to the improbability of success in the fields of music, literature, and science, and the phenomenon of so-called "One-hit Wonders."

Me: Do you really think it was right for you to do this study the way it was presented? Expecting top 10 best sellers to be common knowledge? In literary circles, maybe, but for the general public, no, this is not common knowledge.

Them: We do believe fiction bestseller and literary classics fall into the category of common knowledge. Questions about popular books are included in game shows, board games, and standardized tests. This doesn't mean every person will be able to name 10. (In our study about 98% of participants could.) I wouldn't be able to name 10 NHL teams, but they are still considered common knowledge.

----------------------

 

I don't think 98% of participants named 10 without looking them up.  The survey didn't pay that much so it wasn't about the money for me. It was about them saying this is common knowledge.  Maybe to some people but not everyone.

 

 

[Oxo123]

If you couldn't answer the question you should have exited the survey. You shouldn't expect to be paid.