Problems With Experiments

Question 1

Demand characteristics

Answer 1

Cues that make participants unconsciously aware of the aims of the study or help them work out what the researcher expects to find. Influences the participants behaviour, may be different from usual
(Acts as a confounding variable)

Question 2

Investigator effects

Answer 2

Cues from an investigator that encourage certain behaviours in the participant, which might lead to a fulfilment of the investigator’s expectations e.g. leading questions

Question 3

Participant variables

Answer 3

The characteristics of individual participants which act as EVs in an independent groups design such as age, intelligence and motivation

Question 4

Situational variables

Answer 4

Features of the research situation which may influence participants’ behaviour. Become CVs if they vary systematically with the IV e.g. one group tested in morning, second group in afternoon