Research Troublespot #1: Sensational Headlines

The Trouble Spot here is not necessarily in the study itself. Plenty of excellent, well done studies have been promoted with sensational headlines. The trouble spot here is when you let yourself fall for the sensationalism.

Remember that in this day and age, web sites and news outlets are competing like crazy for the attention of people like you, and they use sensationalism to get to you. That means things are often exaggerated for effect. And when that exaggeration lines up with your own bias, it can be even easier to fall for the hype! Keep your head on straight and don’t let that happen.

So the next time you see a headline that grabs your attention, don’t forget to:

Read the entire article, keeping in mind the bias/agenda of the author and publisher, as well as your own bias.

See if you can find the original study, or at least the abstract.