Using the PowerBalance Wristband to teach experimental design: A partial replication of Lawson et al. (2016)

Seiz, Addison; Lehmann, Grace

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/133137 Copy

Description

Title

Using the PowerBalance Wristband to teach experimental design: A partial replication of Lawson et al. (2016)

Author(s)

• Seiz, Addison
• Lehmann, Grace

Contributor(s)

Bolívar, Dr. Hypatia

Issue Date

2026

Keyword(s)

experimental design; pseudoscientific claims

Date of Ingest

2026-04-23T16:35:07-05:00

Abstract

Presented at STARS 2026. In this study, we conducted a partial replication of Lawson et al. (2016) to examine the effect of an in-class exercise using the PowerBalance Wristband on students’ research design skills. Using a pretest/post-test design supplemented with a hands-on classroom activity, we assessed how students enrolled in a Research Methods course applied critical thinking skills to evaluate pseudoscientific claims. Students completed a pretest in which they read three hypothetical scenarios involving tests of pseudoscientific products or claims, identified a potential flaw in each test, and proposed an alternative way to test each product or claim with an experimental design. These same questions were included on the post-test. During the activity, students worked collaboratively to design experiments to test the effectiveness of the PowerBalance Wristband, a pseudoscientific product, that incorporated key research methods concepts, such as blinding and randomization. We hypothesized that students’ ability to design experiments that included important research elements would improve from pretest (administered prior to the in-class PowerBalance Wristband activity) to post-test (administered one week after the activity). Results showed a statistically significant increase in the overall mean scores from pre-test to post-test for the PowerBalance Wristband scenario only. Students also reacted positively to the exercise on a social validity questionnaire, describing it as helpful and interesting overall.

Type of Resource

text

Genre of Resource

conference poster

Language

eng

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