Psych 2.2.2 Participant Biases

Expectancy effect

when a participant figures out the aim of the study and tries to help the researcher support the hypothesis

Screw-you effect

when a participant attempts to figure out the researchers hypothesis, but only to destroy the study’s credibility

Reactivity

when participants act differently because they are being observed.

Social desirability

when participants react in a certain way because they feel like that is the “socially acceptance” thing to do and they know they are being observed.

Fatigue effect

When asked to participate in several conditions of an experiment, participants may get tired or bored.

Inference effect

This is when the fact that you have taken part in one condition affects your ability to take part in the next condition.

Practice effect

when participants are asked to do a task repeatedly, we may see that they improve

Placebo effect

Believing that they are receiving a treatment can affect behavior, symptoms and outcomes

Interviewer effect

Characteristics of the interviewer can influence how participants respond, either consciously or unconsciously.

Acquiescence bias

Participants might agree with or conform to what they perceive as the interviewer’s viewpoint, especially if the interviewer presents questions in a leading or suggestive manner. 

Participant Bias

Ways in which participants’ behavior may be influenced by factors unrelated to that actual variables being studied