I mean. This is the most entertaining research methodology I have ever seen. What did this look like? This is what it looked like.  So, this is barely a statsy example, but it does include data outcomes:  n = 175, with some snakes striking the boot ( n = 6) and some coiling ( n = 3). While PIs might try to No IRB would let you get away with asking your graduate student to step on snakes. Mostly, this is funny. I found his research, too . While I think the fake leg is highly amusing, I think it is great that Morris is a passionate advocate for snake education and teaching people to be tolerant of snakes they find in the wild. Finally, I heard about this research on an NPR story about snake handling classes (taught by Morris) in Arizona. A WHOLE CLASS. 

 Many of my students love a good manicure.  Sometimes, they come in with full-on talons.  The youth love manicures.  As such, the recent viral headlines about gel nail polish lamps and cancer matter to them.  #scicomm But what did the original research really study? https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-35876-8#Sec12 (CHECK OUT THIS GREAT RM IMAGE FROM THE ORIGINAL RESEARCH!!!) This  short NPR story by Rachel Treisman  is a great summary. The NPR audio story is accompanied by a written report. In that report, Treisman succinctly summarizes the methodology: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/26/1151332361/gel-nails-cancer-manicure-safe 1. Let's talk about science communication. The NPR story is accurate science reporting. However, most of the headlines don't mention that a) some of the evidence came from mice cells, and they measured cell mutations but not cancer.  2. Let's talk about factorial ANOVA The researchers used a 3 (cell types: human 1, hu...

 Here is a quick RM review I created for my Psych Stats students. We were preparing for the first exam, which covered the very basics of research methodology, including IVs and DVs. We also talk about data visualizations and how they can be used to quickly convey information.  California is dealing with an energy crisis and a heatwave. California tried a relatively inexpensive intervention to reduce the likelihood of overwhelming the energy grid: Sending out text messages during extremely high energy usage. See:   https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-07/a-text-alert-may-have-saved-california-from-power-blackouts And what happened? People reduced their electric usage. Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-07/a-text-alert-may-have-saved-california-from-power-blackouts For the class review, I asked my students to think of the emergency alerts they receive from their university via our campus safety app. I challenged them to think of a c...

Malaika Handa , Amber Thomas , and Jan Diehn created a beautiful, interactive website, Colorism in High Fashion . It used machine learning to investigate "colorism" at Vogue magazine. Specifically, it delves into the differences, over time, in cover model color but also how lighting and photoshopping can change the color of the same woman's skin, depending on the photo. There are soooo many ways to use this in class, ranging from machine learning, how machine learning can refine old psychology methodology, to variability and within/between-group differences. Read on: 1. I'm a social psychologist. Most of us who teach social psychology have encountered research that uses magazine cover models as a proxy for what our culture emphasizes and values ( 1 , 2 , 3 ). Here, Malaika Handa, Amber Thomas, and Jan Diehn apply this methodology to Vogue magazine covers. And they take this methodology into the age of machine learning by using k-means cluster and pixels to deter...

Xkcd is a gift to Statisitcs instructors . Author Randall Monroe shares his humor and statistics knowledge. I think that many of his comics can be used as extra credit points , in that you don't get the joke unless you get the conceptual statistical knowledge behind the joke. NOTE: I have included images here, but you really, really should go to the original comics and cursor over for the messages to view the alternative text. NOTE TWO: This is not a comprehensive list but I will try to update it as Monroe shares more comics. To teach APA formatting: https://xkcd.com/833/ To explain sufficient sample size in research: https://xkcd.com/507/ To explain good statistics manners/how to appropriately ask for stats help: https://m.xkcd.com/2116/ To explain error bars: https://xkcd.com/2110/ T-test and the t-curve: https://xkcd.com/2110/ Linear relationships: https://xkcd.com/605/ The Normal Curve: https://xkcd.com/2118/ Cherry picking, p-...

Your students have heard of probiotics. In pill form, in yogurt, and if you are a psychology major, there is even rumbling that probitotics and gut health are linked to mental health. But this is still an emerging area of research. And NPR did a news story about a clinical trial that seeks to understand how probiotics may or may not help eliminate GI problems in children who are on antibiotics . Ask any parent, and they can tell you how antibiotics, which are wonderful, can mess with a kid's belly. When they are already sick. Science is trying to provide some insight into the health benefits of probiotics in this specific situation. They spell out the methodology: How to use in class: 1) I love about this example is that the research is happening now, and very officially as an FDA   clinical trial . So talk to your students about clinical trials, which I think you can then related back to why it is good to pre-register your non-FDA research, with explicit research m...

Pew Research Center  is an excellent source for data to use in statistics and research methods classes. I have blogged about them before (look  under the Label pew-pew! ) and I'm excited to share that Pew is starting up a series of videos dedicated to research methods. The new series will be called Methods 101 . The first describes sampling techniques in which weighing is used to adjust imperfect samples as to better mimic the underlying population. I like that this is a short video that focuses on one specific aspect of polling. I hope that they continue this trend of creating very specific videos covering specific topics. Looking for more videos? Check out Pew's YouTube Channel . Also, I have a video tag for this blog. 3/25/2018 They have posted their second video, this one on proper wording for research questions as to avoid jargon and bias.

Holy smokes. How am I just learning about this amazing resource (thanks, Amy Hogan, for the lead) now? The folks over at Annenberg, famous for Zimbardo's Discovering Psychology series, also have an amazing video collection about statistics, called "Against All Odds" . Each video couches a statistical lesson in a story. 1) In addition to the videos , there are student and faculty guides to go along with every video/chapter. I think that using these guides, and instructor could go textbook free. 2) The topics listed approximate an Introduction to Statistics course. https://www.learner.org/courses/againstallodds/guides/faculty.html

Jethro Waters, Dan Peterson, Ph.D., Laurie McCollough, and Luke Norton made a pair of animated videos ( 1 , 2 ) that explain why correlation does not equal causation and how we can perform lab research in order to determine if causal relationships exist. I like them a bunch. Specific points worth liking: -Illustrations of scatter plots for significant and non-significant relationships. Data does not support the old wive's tale that everyone goes a little crazy during full moons. -Explains the Third Variable problem. Simple, pretty illustration of the perennial correlation example of ice cream sales (X):death by drowning (Y) relationship, and the third variable, hot weather (Z) that drives the relationship. -In addition to discussing correlation =/= causation, the video makes suggestions for studying a correlational relationship via more rigorous research methods (here violent video games:violent behavior). Video games (X) influence aggression (Y) via the moderato...