》Demand Characteristics & Investigator Effects

Question 1

What are Demand Characteristics?

Answer 1

Environmental clues to what the investigation is about, causing participants to alter their natural behaviour.

Question 2

How can Demand Characteristics be resolved/controlled?

Answer 2

Using some deception: not revealing the true aim and hypotheses of the study.

Using double blind procedures, where neither participants or the researchers interacting with them are aware of the condition participants have been assigned to.

Question 3

What are Investigation Effects?

Answer 3

Any (unintentional or unconscious) unwanted influence of the researcher’s behaviour/ characteristics on the participant’s data / outcome.

Question 4

What is Participant Reactivity?

Answer 4

This means participants conform to what they believe the researcher expects and act overly ‘pleasing’ trying to be a ‘good’ participant or behave in ways in which they think are socially desirable. Alternatively, participants may attempt to ‘ruin’ the results by deliberately defying expectations and behave in an antagonistic way.

Question 5

What is expectancy effect?

Answer 5

A researcher’s pre-existing knowledhe of the aims & hypotheses of research may reveal unconscious cues to participants that affects their behaviour, or any other features of the researcher may also affect participants behaviour.

Question 6

What can affect participants’ behaviour?

Answer 6

Non verbal cues.
Physical Characteristics & Mannerisms
Bias in interpretation.

Question 7

How can investigator effects be resolved / controlled?

Answer 7

Using the same researcher
Using the double blind method.