Effect of Event Rarity on the Perception of Correlationally Indeterminate Data

摘要

Previous research has indicated that events that are rare are more informative than common events. The present study manipulated event rarity through social stereotypes to evaluate event rarity's role in the perception of correlationally indeterminate data. Social stereotypes were used as a means to manipulate expectations about which observations would be considered rare and which common. Participants were presented with a correlationally indeterminate sample and were asked to rate the correlational relationship in the population from which the sample was drawn. The results did not support the event rarity hypothesis but were consistent with confirming hypothesis testing behavior. Further research is ongoing to evaluate what factors may influence differential behavior (e.g., preference for common over rare observations and vice versa) in the perception of correlationally indeterminate data.