When study results indicate that a prior hypothesis must be rejected, some researchers will explore the data to see if unanticipated relationships might make for more interesting results. In principle this is not a good idea because ______.
A) it takes too much time and energy to dredge the data, and this costs a lot of money
B) it is unlikely to uncover evidence in support of the rejected hypothesis
C) unanticipated results might be based on chance alone
D) the data must obviously be flawed if it cannot support the hypothesis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Unanticipated results found after exploring the data without a prior hypothesis can be misleading because they might be based on random variations rather than actual relationships, leading to conclusions that may not be replicable or valid.

When Study Results Indicate That a Prior Hypothesis Must Be