yeah, i'm a bit confused too. that's not really a control. although i think that it was maybe a way to affirm to the students that the values they are constantly bombarded with that they don't agree with (including but not limited to that men are good at science and women are not) can have valid explanations behind them? but still not exactly a control...
For example, how do we know the effect isn't from just the act of writing, or of thinking deeply? How do we know the effect isn't from thinking about "values" in general?
The way they set it up is clever: the control group also wrote a journal, so they know it isn't the journaling that does it; the control group also thought about values, so they know it isn't moral thought that does it; it has to be specifically self affirming journaling that does it.
Shouldn't the control group have done nothing at all? I'm confused!
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For example, how do we know the effect isn't from just the act of writing, or of thinking deeply? How do we know the effect isn't from thinking about "values" in general?
The way they set it up is clever: the control group also wrote a journal, so they know it isn't the journaling that does it; the control group also thought about values, so they know it isn't moral thought that does it; it has to be specifically self affirming journaling that does it.
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