Students as Experimental Participants: A Defense of the 'Narrow Data Base'

34 Pages Posted: 3 Nov 2009

See all articles by James N. Druckman

James N. Druckman

University of Rochester - Department of Political Science; Northwestern University - Department of Political Science

Cindy D. Kam

Vanderbilt University - Department of Political Science

Date Written: July 6, 2009

Abstract

We investigate the extent to which using students as experimental participants creates problems for causal inference. First, we discuss the impact of student subjects on a study’s internal and external validity. In contrast to common claims, we argue that student subjects do not intrinsically pose a problem for a study’s external validity. Second, we use simulations to identify situations when student subjects are likely to constrain experimental inferences. We show that such situations are relatively limited; any convenience sample poses a problem only when the size of an experimental treatment effect depends upon a characteristic on which the convenience sample has virtually no variance. Third, we briefly survey empirical evidence that provides guidance on when researchers should be particularly attuned to taking steps to ensure appropriate generalizability from student subjects. We conclude with a discussion of the practical implications of our findings. In short, we argue that student subjects are not an inherent problem to experimental research; moreover, the burden of proof - of student subjects being a problem - should lie with critics rather than experimenters.

Keywords: experiments, subjects, public opinion, methods

JEL Classification: C9

Suggested Citation

Druckman, James N. and Kam, Cindy D., Students as Experimental Participants: A Defense of the 'Narrow Data Base' (July 6, 2009). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1498843 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1498843

James N. Druckman (Contact Author)

University of Rochester - Department of Political Science ( email )

Rochester, NY 14627
United States

Northwestern University - Department of Political Science ( email )

601 University Place (Scott Hall)
Evanston, IL 60201
United States
847-491-7450 (Phone)

Cindy D. Kam

Vanderbilt University - Department of Political Science ( email )

VU Station B #351817
Nashville, TN 37235-1817
United States

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