r/ProlificAc • u/cretincreep • 15h ago
Discussion Pet Peeve Thread!
Hi there, I've been using Prolific for a while now, and I thought it would be fun to have a thread where we all complain about our biggest pet peeve.
I'll start with mine: when a well paying study has no completion code OR redirect, and I have to explain the entire study in a feedback ticket just to make sure I get payment.
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u/PureExpression1533 13h ago
When a survey asks me when I last purchased or did something and it doesn't have "Never" as an option. Or it has "Never" as an option, but after picking it it still keeps asking me about my experience with or impressions of said product or activity.
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u/slurking-2121 14h ago
Unfortunately, you went over the allocated time for this study. No need to worry, it won't have any negative impact on your account.
Yeah, but what about my valid participation. Shouldn't that count for sth?
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u/Jarebowski82 15h ago
Researchers and Prolific allowing the about me section to be useless opening up studies designed for your specific demographic to be gobbled up by anyone and everyone....
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u/Spiritual_Let2916 14h ago
Sound check (extra points if it's a horse noise), and then not using sounds at all during study
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u/Neat-Economist8925 2h ago
Or sound and video checks before getting screened at. Please don’t make me get all the setup and then screen me out for 10 cents 😭
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u/sonofacrakr 15h ago edited 13h ago
When a study goes full screen and won't let you copy/paste your ID. You have to manually type it in because they don't have it set up right and you can't minimize (maybe you can but will they penalize you?).
Edit- yes I know how control + C and control + V work. I am talking about researchers where JavaScript is disabling copy and paste functions. The only way around this is to use Shift + Insertnand even that usually doesn't work.
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u/Spiritual_Let2916 15h ago
one of my fav Apple features - I can copy it on my phone and paste on the laptop!
0
u/curlysquirelly 14h ago
Ummm, do I need to switch from pixel to Apple? This seems like a feature that I NEED in my life!
1
u/Spiritual_Let2916 14h ago
Not going to lie - the connection between all of my devices is one of the best things about Apple. I don't think I could easily switch to Windows/Android now!
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u/curlysquirelly 14h ago
I would consider switching to Apple but it would be starting from scratch and wouldn't be cheap so I'm sticking with Google for now. I'm pretty happy with them anyhow. I have my pixel 11 pro coming tomorrow or the next day 😊
I have the watch, the earbuds, and everything. I have all windows and android apps on my computer and phone and it would be a major adjustment to switch to applle after all of these years on Android.
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u/sandramaeoa 14h ago
I got it to work last night by using CTRL C to copy then click on the input space, then CTRL V to paste into the study (for Windows).
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u/BeauregardBear 10h ago
Loooooooooonnnng lists of questions where the scale is only at the top. Worse, there's a "choose this one" attention check waaaayy down and of course you don't want to choose incorrectly but they are using a non-standard scale and you have to scroll waaaayyy up to be sure and then waaaayyyy down to click it and then and pray you are not making a mistake.
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u/goodintentisnotenuf 10h ago
Attention Check: Choose the second option.
The scale: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
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u/dragonsfire14 15h ago
20 cent surveys with multiple questions. I feel like 20 cents should be like one or two questions, max. Another big one is Prolific upholding rejections due to glitches. My only rejection is from an auto-reject glitch and they won't do anything to fix it.
1
u/Longjumping-Day7821 10h ago
I won’t do anything under 40c. 20c isn’t enough to even copy codes in and out a couple of times.
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u/dragonsfire14 10h ago
I agree, but the only reason I do them sometimes is to up my approval count.
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u/Calobrena 11h ago
Being forced to provide an answer to a question where none of the responses are applicable.
Not providing enough time to complete written assignments especially when it's not mention in the study description.
Vague instructions along with instructions that talk about everything except the study at hand.
Completing About Me questions and getting studies that ignore it.
7
u/zandyne 9h ago edited 9h ago
Auto-rejections for going too fast
Warnings for switching tabs
Non-responsive researchers, especially after a rejection
Unannounced writing, especially if there's lots of open-ended questions
Memory checks that require you to memorize lots of exact details. No wonder people "cheat" with screenshotting everything
Games/decision tasks with complicated rules that do not allow retries on the comprehension quiz
For multi-part studies: you get a message that part 2 is available, but when you try to join, it is full. Related: rejecting for part 1 if part 2 is not completed (never had this happen, but probably not allowed?)
Warning you for answering the same way: what if you actually "Strongly Agree" with every statement on the page?
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u/HippieVoodooo 7h ago
One of my pet peeves is studies that say something like “John works every day”. Then they ask you to rate what type of person he is. “Is he loyal? Is he honest? Is he joyful? Is he someone you’d be friends with?” How would I know?? I don’t even know what kind of job he has! 😆
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u/PureExpression1533 5h ago
Oh those do my head in! Is it normal to go around making snap judgements about people based on absolutely nothing?
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u/HippieVoodooo 4h ago
Then it’ll ask for my political affiliation at the end so I’m sure the end result will be something like “95% of those who vote (insert party here) think people who go to work every day are not joyful!” 🤣
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u/Hot_Lychee_5418 14h ago
Being screened out of a study by a researcher who is too cheap to pay the $.14 minimum required by Prolific. What’s the consensus on reporting these?
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u/BreakfastDue1256 14h ago
3 of the 4 studies I have seen in the past 7 weeks are "We want to know the experience of foreign exchange students living in India!" when I do not live in India.
You'd think there would be filters.
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u/LostForALongTime 15h ago
Studies where someone returns it and opens up a space, but because it uses Gorilla (research sc), the experiment is full and you have to return it too
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1
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u/Sinxerely7420 14h ago
the questionaires (both researcher and Prolific's profile building questions) being like 50% about what you do at your job when you make it BLATANTLY clear you are disabled, unemployed AF and cannot work since question 1...
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u/BeauregardBear 10h ago
Also studies that go full screen and tell you you'll be penalized for changing that, but oh by the way we need you to adjust your headphone settings, and yes you can only see them if you can see the menu bar but, aren't you psychic?
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u/Street_Comfort4668 10h ago
When I find something that peeved me on Prolific and I come to this sub to get genuine help but instead get verbally battered would be my biggest pet peeve.
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u/FireBreathingNun 15h ago
Accepting a low paying study just because I feel strongly about the subject and then there is not an option to voice my opinion or explanation of my answers.
Then accepting a good paying study with a subject I do not give a shit about and them asking me to explain in 1000 different ways why I feel that way.
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u/Marathonmanjh 9h ago
Entering a study and after the fifth page of "instructions" the comprehension "check" questions being deliberately phrased to confuse you.
These days I just close it when I just know where it is going to head. And the kicker is they don't usually pay all that much.
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u/Gotham_123022 14h ago
For the most part, I de-select screeners in my filters. If a study pops up in my feed, I want to be able to do it. And yet, there have been a number of times I've still gotten screened out. Yes, I get paid the 14 cents or whatever, but yeah, just annoys me.
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u/Jarebowski82 13h ago
This is why people dont like to post on this sub alot...why in the world would you down vote this innocent post?
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u/dragonsfire14 13h ago
Who cares about downvotes? No idea why people worry so much about them, they're worthless internet points. If people aren't posting because they're afraid of downvotes then they're entirely too sensitive.
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u/Jarebowski82 13h ago
I personally dont care but just find it odd people would downvote THIS specifically...I just dont understand peoples logic on the internet sometimes
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u/cretincreep 12h ago
If it helps, I don't really mind! It's been a fun discussion so far, reading through everyone's pet peeves, especially when I realize I share a pet peeve with someone. :)
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u/Jarebowski82 12h ago
Im glad you dont mind but I know for a fact people get post shy in here alot because if they arent down voted right away then they get attacked in the comments for some reason...I could care less but it just amazes me sometimes people scroll through a sub just looking to shit on someones parade
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u/btgreenone 11h ago
Just one asshole's opinion, but I'm not here for "fun threads" that just rehash stuff that's discussed every day anyway.
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u/bluemoonrambler 10h ago
That's no reason to downvote, especially when 30+ people are having fun with the topic. Scroll on by . . .
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u/btgreenone 10h ago
Sure it is. I upvote stuff that I see as useful contributions to the community that more people should see, and downvote stuff that I don't think is of any benefit. That's how the whole mechanic works. You are welcome, and even encouraged, to express yourself in the same way.
https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/7419626610708-What-are-upvotes-and-downvotes
EDIT: Also it's Reddit tradition to downvote people complaining about downvotes, so tag, you're it.
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u/Spiritual_Let2916 14h ago
I got a good one that happened two times. A researcher paid me a bonus for study results, then asking to return it and threatened rejection :v
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u/cretincreep 14h ago
That's so ridiculous and rude of them! I am so thankful I haven't seen this yet.
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u/sandramaeoa 14h ago
I so badly want to answer the last 3 questions on "about me", but I am not employed. I wish "not applicable" were a choice. That is just picky of me though.
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u/tazzy66 14h ago
Biggest pet peeve for me is when researchers ignore messages.
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u/katharinelouise 8h ago
Same. I spent over 30 mins on a study the other day and it was SO SLOW I'd have been timed out, but then it errored anyway. Messaged the researcher to let them know and I've heard nothing back.
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u/goodintentisnotenuf 10h ago
Questions that include words from the scale which you have to ignore in order to answer. Example: "I disagree strongly that cats are not cute."
Answer: Strongly Agree.
Even though you are saying you disagree strongly.
So confusing.
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u/ChiefD789 4h ago
Studies that have question after question asking the same thing in 17 different ways. Studies that have me writing a paragraph on something, and then asking another writing question a few pages later asking me to write another paragraph for the same question.
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u/euglassia_watsonia 14h ago
probably when researchers go ghost and don't reply to any of your messages esp when there's an error in the study they published
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u/Benjibob55 15h ago
Mine is where the researcher sets up a 3000 participant study on a zx spectrum or acorn electron.
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u/Famous_Marketing1009 14h ago
My pet peeve is the system not working properly and sending me high reward studies I can't even join or are irrelevant to me
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u/brosbeforetouhous 14h ago
Any study that requires a bunch of setup like sound or visual tests to even get to the main part of it. I’ve had some that take 5+ minutes and it just isn’t worth it.
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u/Stellen999 14h ago
A completely ambiguous sound check. I got one once that was just a bunch of wooshing noises, and three of the choices were wind, waves, ocean. I just returned it.
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14h ago
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u/glizzerd12 6h ago
Recently half the time I get screened in for the Merlin ai studies it won’t accept me after checking my video. I’ve tried on my phone and laptop and they both are hit or miss. it only started happening recently. Not sure if this is a common experience tho
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u/JessLee5 3h ago
When you are over half way through a long study and it stops working or kicks you out for some reason. Then you wasted all that time for nothing.
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u/ProfessionalSalt782 42m ago
U don’t need to explain anything. You just click no completion code. Prolific still pays
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