A researcher has recently published an article about the benefits of a smartphone application for increasing concentration levels and intelligence. You later find out that this researcher owns shares in the company that developed this application. Which of the following is now the most reasonable response to the researcher's claims?
A) The researcher has a vested interest in the success of the application and might not be objective about how good it really is.
B) Prior research has shown that these smartphone applications do increase intelligence, so the researcher is probably objective.
C) The researcher is an expert in cognitive science, thus the claims are still valid.
D) The company did not pay the researcher for doing the research, so the researcher is not biased.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The researcher's ownership in the company that developed the application presents a potential conflict of interest, and therefore the researcher's claims may not be entirely objective. This does not necessarily mean the claims are false, but it is important to consider the potential bias when evaluating the research.

A Researcher Has Recently Published an Article About the Benefits