American author Quote by Alfred Binet
![“I wish that one would be persuaded that psychological experiments, especially those on the complex functions, are not improved [by large studies]; the statistical method gives only mediocre results; some recent examples demonstrate that. The American authors, who love to do things big, often…” quote by Alfred Binet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8cd/alfred-binet-37082_american-author_i-wish-that-one-would-be-persuaded-that_712063.jpg)
“I wish that one would be persuaded that psychological experiments, especially those on the complex functions, are not improved [by large studies]; the statistical method gives only mediocre results; some recent examples demonstrate that. The American authors, who love to do things big, often publish experiments that have been conducted on hundreds and thousands of people; they instinctively obey the prejudice that the persuasiveness of a work is proportional to the number of observations. This is only an illusion.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Statistical Methods in Psychology, 1910s (historical)
Large sample sizes are often overvalued; quality of methodology matters more than sheer quantity, and big studies can still yield mediocre findings.
In simple terms: Quantity doesn’t equal quality in research.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize rigorous design over sample size.
Themes
research methodology
statistics
science criticism
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
academic
skeptical
When to use this quote
- academic publishing
- clinical trials
- market research
- policy analysis
Key Concepts
experimental design
data quality
replicability
Questions to Reflect On
- How can small studies be more reliable?
- What safeguards improve large‑scale research?
A Different Perspective
Big data can still suffer from bias and poor design.
