Biased
Clemens Thornquist, February 2018
Bias
1 a: an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially: a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment: prejudice
b: an instance of such prejudice
c: bent, tendency
d (1): deviation of the expected value of a statistical estimate from the quantity it estimates (2): systematic error introduced into sampling or testing by selecting or encouraging one outcome or answer over others
2: a line diagonal to the grain of a fabric; especially: a line at a 45 degree angle to the selvage often utilized in the cutting of garments for smoother t
See also;
research bias, methodological bias, experimental bias, experimenter bias, experimenter e ect, experimenter- expectancy e ect, expectancy bias or observer e ect.
Comment
Researchers bring to an investigation their own personal experiences, prejudices and beliefs. Such di erent sources of bias may in uence research results in order to portray a certain outcome. Moreover, bias can occur at any stage of the research process. For example, bias can arise in the failure to explore all of the possible variables. A researcher can select subjects that are more likely to generate
a desired result or analyses and judges a result from only a desired or speci c perspective. Consequences and propositions derived from the results can also be exaggerated and overstated. However, by outlining potential sources of bias one may enable a greater critical evaluation of research ndings through enhanced transparency of possible research bias.
This work is an attempt to disclose one’s own personal sources of bias: physical attractions, material associations, mental associations, ideals, symbolic language, compositional structure and more. The question that remain however, is what more precisely does it reveal? What is there? What is not there? And how can this self-re ected example be further employed in art or design research for more transparent and elaborate ndings?
The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås, 50190 Borås, Sweden www.hb.se/ths, ISBN 978-91-88269-84-3 (Print) ISBN 978-91-88269-85-0 (PDF)