Using Facebook to Supplement Participant Pools for Class Research Projects

Abstract

In-class research projects are a valuable way of providing research experience for undergraduate students in psychology. This article evaluates the use of online social networks to supplement sample recruitment for in-class research projects. Specifically, this article presents a systematic analysis of seven student research projects that recruited through social networks and a traditional participant pool. Data from these studies suggest that the social network and participant pool samples were very similar in participant characteristics and overall levels of the dependent measures. Similarly, the magnitude and direction of the effect sizes were very similar across the studies. Results suggest that online recruiting may be a viable way of supplementing sample sizes while also providing additional opportunities to address learning goals related to statistical analyses. However, the pedagogical benefits of increasing sample size through online recruiting must be considered in conjunction with the potential ethical and methodological limitations of recruiting through online social networks.