Context Variables Timothy is a shy undergraduate who was pressured by his roommate to help run a field experiment where he had to ask mall shoppers a large or small favor.Since he found most subjects intimidating, he only approached grandmothers and stray children in the large favor condition, and impatient shoppers in the small favor condition.Timothy's behavior
A)confounded the experiment.
B)illustrated the Rosenthal effect.
C)introduced a demand characteristic.
D)was ethically inappropriate.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Timothy's behavior confounded the experiment because it introduced a systematic bias in the selection of participants, which may have affected the results in a way that is not related to the independent variable (size of favor). By only approaching certain types of participants based on his own comfort level, Timothy may have unintentionally introduced a third variable that interferes with the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Context Variables Timothy Is a Shy Undergraduate Who Was Pressured