If an experimenter inadvertently smiles and is more encouraging when research participants answer questions in a particular way, or if she asks questions in a leading manner, or if she is friendlier to members of the experimental group than she is to members of the control group, then she is unintentionally increasing the experiment's __________.
A) demand characteristics
B) placebo effect
C) double-blind design
D) internal validity

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

These actions by the experimenter are all examples of demand characteristics, which are cues that inadvertently communicate how participants are expected to behave in the experiment. This can lead participants to modify their behavior in order to meet these expectations, thereby reducing the experiment's internal validity. The placebo effect refers specifically to the phenomenon where a person experiences a change in their symptoms or behavior due to the belief that they have received a treatment or intervention, and is not relevant to this scenario. Double-blind design refers to a study design where neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the treatment and who is receiving the control condition, and is also not relevant to this scenario.

If an Experimenter Inadvertently Smiles and Is More Encouraging When