Methods matter: Exploring how expectations influence common actions
Summary: Behavior in controlled laboratory studies is not always representative of what people do in daily life. This has prompted a recent shift toward conducting studies in natural settings. We wondered whether expectations raised by how the task is presented should also be considered. To find out...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-03-01
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| Series: | iScience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004224002979 |
| _version_ | 1797317473464221696 |
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| author | Andrea Ghiani David Mann Eli Brenner |
| author_facet | Andrea Ghiani David Mann Eli Brenner |
| author_sort | Andrea Ghiani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Behavior in controlled laboratory studies is not always representative of what people do in daily life. This has prompted a recent shift toward conducting studies in natural settings. We wondered whether expectations raised by how the task is presented should also be considered. To find out, we studied gaze when walking down and up a staircase. Gaze was often directed at steps before stepping on them, but most participants did not look at every step. Importantly, participants fixated more steps and looked around less when asked to navigate the staircase than when navigating the same staircase but asked to walk outside. Presumably, expecting the staircase to be important made participants direct their gaze at more steps, despite the identical requirements when on the staircase. This illustrates that behavior can be influenced by expectations, such as expectations resulting from task instructions, even when studies are conducted in natural settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:35:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b51a569b227245c7a4cf13f88eed4ff1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:35:32Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj.art-b51a569b227245c7a4cf13f88eed4ff12024-02-10T04:45:13ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422024-03-01273109076Methods matter: Exploring how expectations influence common actionsAndrea Ghiani0David Mann1Eli Brenner2Department of Human Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences and Institute of Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Corresponding authorDepartment of Human Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences and Institute of Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsDepartment of Human Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences and Institute of Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsSummary: Behavior in controlled laboratory studies is not always representative of what people do in daily life. This has prompted a recent shift toward conducting studies in natural settings. We wondered whether expectations raised by how the task is presented should also be considered. To find out, we studied gaze when walking down and up a staircase. Gaze was often directed at steps before stepping on them, but most participants did not look at every step. Importantly, participants fixated more steps and looked around less when asked to navigate the staircase than when navigating the same staircase but asked to walk outside. Presumably, expecting the staircase to be important made participants direct their gaze at more steps, despite the identical requirements when on the staircase. This illustrates that behavior can be influenced by expectations, such as expectations resulting from task instructions, even when studies are conducted in natural settings.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004224002979Behavioral neuroscienceSocial sciencesResearch methodology social sciences |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Ghiani David Mann Eli Brenner Methods matter: Exploring how expectations influence common actions iScience Behavioral neuroscience Social sciences Research methodology social sciences |
| title | Methods matter: Exploring how expectations influence common actions |
| title_full | Methods matter: Exploring how expectations influence common actions |
| title_fullStr | Methods matter: Exploring how expectations influence common actions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Methods matter: Exploring how expectations influence common actions |
| title_short | Methods matter: Exploring how expectations influence common actions |
| title_sort | methods matter exploring how expectations influence common actions |
| topic | Behavioral neuroscience Social sciences Research methodology social sciences |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004224002979 |
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