Re:Fabricated data in research about honesty
by godelski on Friday July 28, 2023 @12:44PM
(#36909585)
While I generally go with this, it definitely isn't an absolutely true statement and we should even modify it. People know they are doing wrong, they just justify it with reasons why it is okay to do the wrong thing. I'm pretty sure that these people knew they were doing a big wrong, but I'm sure they justified it with "well everyone fudges the data a little." (this wasn't little)
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I'm going to go with both of you.
They know what they're doing is wrong. But I don't think they did it because "everyone does it", they did it because they think they're ultimately right.
They believe in their results, they know in their heart of hearts that their conclusions are true. It's just that not all of the data lines up. It's incomplete, inconclusive, etc. Yes, it is wrong to fabricate data, however, over time, results will bear out the truth of their statements and it won't matter.
They are of the camp that process doesn't matter as long as you reach the right conclusion. Which is wrong. Process is kind of the only thing that matters.