The nonsense math effect
Mathematics is a fundamental tool of research. Although potentially applicable in every discipline, the amount of training in mathematics that students typically receive varies greatly between different disciplines. In those disciplines where most researchers do not master mathematics, the use of ma...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2012-11-01
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| Series: | Judgment and Decision Making |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500003296/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797701126124994560 |
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| author | Kimmo Eriksson |
| author_facet | Kimmo Eriksson |
| author_sort | Kimmo Eriksson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mathematics is a fundamental tool of research. Although potentially applicable in every discipline, the amount of training in mathematics that students typically receive varies greatly between different disciplines. In those disciplines where most researchers do not master mathematics, the use of mathematics may be held in too much awe. To demonstrate this I conducted an online experiment with 200 participants, all of which had experience of reading research reports and a postgraduate degree (in any subject). Participants were presented with the abstracts from two published papers (one in evolutionary anthropology and one in sociology). Based on these abstracts, participants were asked to judge the quality of the research. Either one or the other of the two abstracts was manipulated through the inclusion of an extra sentence taken from a completely unrelated paper and presenting an equation that made no sense in the context. The abstract that included the meaningless mathematics tended to be judged of higher quality. However, this “nonsense math effect” was not found among participants with degrees in mathematics, science, technology or medicine. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:30:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-731bc05459ea4a3cb7086ddb42700ce7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1930-2975 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:30:48Z |
| publishDate | 2012-11-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Judgment and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj.art-731bc05459ea4a3cb7086ddb42700ce72023-09-03T10:05:06ZengCambridge University PressJudgment and Decision Making1930-29752012-11-01774674910.1017/S1930297500003296The nonsense math effectKimmo Eriksson0School of Education, Culture and Communication, Mälardalen University, Box 883, SE-72123 Västerås, Sweden Centre for the Study of Cultural Evolution, Stockholm UniversityMathematics is a fundamental tool of research. Although potentially applicable in every discipline, the amount of training in mathematics that students typically receive varies greatly between different disciplines. In those disciplines where most researchers do not master mathematics, the use of mathematics may be held in too much awe. To demonstrate this I conducted an online experiment with 200 participants, all of which had experience of reading research reports and a postgraduate degree (in any subject). Participants were presented with the abstracts from two published papers (one in evolutionary anthropology and one in sociology). Based on these abstracts, participants were asked to judge the quality of the research. Either one or the other of the two abstracts was manipulated through the inclusion of an extra sentence taken from a completely unrelated paper and presenting an equation that made no sense in the context. The abstract that included the meaningless mathematics tended to be judged of higher quality. However, this “nonsense math effect” was not found among participants with degrees in mathematics, science, technology or medicine.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500003296/type/journal_articleunintelligibilitymathematicshumanitiessocial sciencequality of research |
| spellingShingle | Kimmo Eriksson The nonsense math effect Judgment and Decision Making unintelligibility mathematics humanities social science quality of research |
| title | The nonsense math effect |
| title_full | The nonsense math effect |
| title_fullStr | The nonsense math effect |
| title_full_unstemmed | The nonsense math effect |
| title_short | The nonsense math effect |
| title_sort | nonsense math effect |
| topic | unintelligibility mathematics humanities social science quality of research |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500003296/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kimmoeriksson thenonsensematheffect AT kimmoeriksson nonsensematheffect |