Published studies continue to frustrate me to no end. Will Richardson points to this study, which contends that "consistent with existing literature, creative activity is related to a person's socioeconomic status as measured by parental schooling." It may be consistent with existing literature, but this study is no support for such literature. The authors take pains to represent their sample as diverse and non-biased. However, "We look at the content creation and sharing practices of 1,060 first-year students ... at the University of Illinois, Chicago." Well that's not a random sample at all! How would sharing practices compare for people not attending college? How do they compare in more egalitarian nations such as Canada or Sweden? We cannot draw inferences about the nature of people when the people represented are in a very special circumstance in a very singular culture.
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