makes our questions contextually appropriate?

[keannu]

What do you mean by makes our questions contextually appropriate?
In the first question "stop sign" was mentioned, but in the second, it wasn't. Does "contextually appropriate" mean the questions or the answers? I'm all confused about it.

ex)In one study, psychologist Elizabeth Loftus showed a group of students a video of an automobile accident in which one driver runs through a stop sign, turning right and causing a five-car collision. After that, she asked half the students, "How fast was Car A going when it ran through the stop sign?" She asked the other half, "How fast was Car A going when it turned right?" Loftus then asked everyone, "Did you see a stop sign for Car A?" Fifty-three percentage of the students in the first group answered that they had seen the stop sign, yet only thirty-five percentage of the students in the second group indicated that they had noticed it. Loftus concludes that we can affect responses by stating or deleting key information that makes our questions contextually appropriate. In this case, they key information is the existence of the stop sign.

 

[Tdol]

The question can shape the answer to a degree, so it refers to the question and the information we include in it.

 

[keannu]

The question can shape the answer to a degree, so it refers to the question and the information we include in it.

Thanks, but by "appropriate" does it mean "Did you see a stop sign for Car A?" was appropriate? Why was it appropriate?
It seems for the first group ""How fast was Car A going when it ran through the stop sign?" " was asked, so "the stop sign" was included in there reminded the first group, while for the second group "How fast was Car A going when it turned right?"" was asked where "the stop sign" wasn't included, so it might have not reminded the second group.

That's why the second group couldn't answer if they saw the stop sign more than the first group. I can understand to this point, but I'm still not convinced what appropriate means.

 

[Tdol]

I don't think it's a very clear phrase to be honest as it is subjective. What I think the writer means by appropriate is from the perspective and judgment of the person asking the question we phrase questions and include/exclude information to elicit the response we want.

 

[BobK]

I don't think it's a very clear phrase to be honest as it is subjective. ...

I think it's typical - particularly of the 'soft' sciences, but of academic writing in general - that they dress up simple idea in piles of abstraction. What the 'finding' is, is that a previous question can supply the answer to a later one [There was a Stop sign - we know that from the wording of the first question]. Duh.

b

 

[keannu]

I think it's typical - particularly of the 'soft' sciences, but of academic writing in general - that they dress up simple idea in piles of abstraction. What the 'finding' is, is that a previous question can supply the answer to a later one [There was a Stop sign - we know that from the wording of the first question]. Duh.

b

You seem to be quite close to the answer I need, so according to your explanation, in "makes our questions contextually appropriate", is "our questions" the first question(How fast was Car A going when it ran through the stop sign?)" or the last one(Did you see a stop sign for Car A)? I guess it's the last one.

 

[Tdol]

If you ask How fast was this maniac going when he caused the crash? people might give a higher estimate of the speed. ;-)

 

[keannu]

If you ask How fast was this maniac going when he caused the crash? people might give a higher estimate of the speed. ;-)

I'd like you to answer me if the question is the last one or the first one. Thank you!