Measurement Error Issue

Measurement Error

In the study done by Bargh, Chen, & Burrows (1996), measurement error was an issue when looking at whether priming concepts of old age caused people to walk out of the room more slowly. This issue came about because the measurement method that was used was imprecise. It relied on a person measuring walking speed with a stopwatch. While the stopwatch itself was accurate, the issue was focused on whether the person doing the measuring was pressing the start and stop buttons at the same point for each person he or she was measuring. Based on what the person was thinking, feeling, and doing, he or she could have easily pressed the button sooner or not as quickly for any particular person being observed. This may have been an unconscious behavior, but would still have a strong effect on the results of the study and...
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