The Red Sneakers Effect: Inferring Status and Competence from Signals of Nonconformity
Task
Two sections of the submission
1. Write down the main findings of the paper (1 point)
What is (are) the research question(s) and what did they find?
Do not copy summary from the paper, put findings yourself
To the point and concise
Do not go from one study to the next
Summarize as a paper
Recommended length from ½ page to ¾ page
Task
2. Discuss 4 or more points from below, where you have an input (4 points)
Any research answers some questions and raises some interesting
questions/insightful queries. But also every research has its limitations or
problems
This part of the assignment is aimed at appreciating these ideas together
You need two parts
Some criticisms of the paper and some boundaries
At least one of each
Total of 4 or more
Do not just list the points
Discuss them!
ask: criticisms
We are looking for a particular type of criticisms
Should always relate back to the research question of the authors
Not only a problem is required, but also why it would favor the author’s
findings and if you test it without that problem this effect would disappear
Do not use criticisms like the following as they are always true of any
research
Authors did not test this in another country
Authors did not have 50% male and 50% female
Why?
You only need to argue, no support is needed
No citations etc. needed from other papers
Task: criticisms
E.g., the paper indicated that they would like to test the relationship of asking versus
instructing people to donate on the donation amounts. However, in the experiments, the
authors also used stronger words when instructing people to donate. This is a problem as
they might get their findings because the stronger words can lead them to donate and this
might have nothing to do with asking or instructing
Task: criticisms
Making a criticism
Some templates
Template 1
Step 1: Indicate what the author did
Step 2: What is the problem with that?
Step 3: How would this problem will favor the results that authors got. Suggest if they
would have done it in your way (indicate what it is), they would get opposite/no results
Template 2
Step 1: Indicate who did the author use in the study
Step 2: These subjects do a certain thing or have certain characteristics
Step 3: This IS the reason why they got these results, if they would use subject B
(indicate who), the results would be opposite/not present
Task: criticisms
Some templates
Template 3
Step 1: Indicate what the author stated they will do
Step 2: What did they actually do
Step 3: How are these two different and would impact the results in a way that will
favor authors’ hypothesis.
Template 4
Step 1: What is reason authors gave for why this effect happened
Step 2: What can be an alternative reason why this effect happened
Step 3: Provide an example of when authors effect would not happen where it is
supposed to, or when effect would happen even if authors explanation does not
support it
Task: criticisms
Please do not say that the results might be DIFFERENT, or if they do this or
the results MIGHT change if they do this
You need to be able to build an argument where there is reasonable doubt about
whether the results of the study are actually true or not
When you are not sure, ask yourself
If you put this criticism to the author, would he/she say, okay I think future studies
can check that or good point but that does not question our findings
Or would he/she say, oh we have not thought about that? Yes, if that is the case, then
our results might not hold. Or the authors will say yes, but I still think my explanation
can also be true under some other circumstances. Or they argue with you if your case
is true.
If your criticism is of the second type, you are doing fine
If it is the first type, think of something else
ask: boundaries or extending the paper
Indicate some ways in which the findings of the paper can be applied to
interesting scenarios in the industry
Go beyond the usual application e.g., this research takes about increasing shoe sales, it
can be applied in shoe stores
Duh!!
Examples of where from the research it should apply (based on the paper), but there
are reasons why it should not or where this will be very different than examples
provided
Make sure this application is not the same as mentioned in the paper
In criticism we are questioning the paper, in boundaries we are finding
exceptions
Just like criticism
Make sure that the application is based on specific research question in the paper and
not the context, one of the variables in the paper etc. i.e., it has to be an application of
the FULL research question
Task: application or extending
applications
Biggest problems:
Usual/not interesting applications
Same applications that authors tested or reported in the paper
Application not about author’s research question
Do
Find places where you are not sure if this breaks
Find places where it might be okay to apply, but it goes against
the intuitive understanding
Task: application or extending
applications
E.g., this research talks about how using complex words in ads lower
people’s liking of the ad. Based on the paper, I wonder if this is true
for ads for books or literature. It will be counterintuitive if ads for
selling literature are more liked if they are written using simple
words.
