Upon entering an experimental session, participants were greeted by a student investigator who wore jeans and a shirt with gay pride symbols. Participants were asked to report their feelings about personal freedom, equality and tolerance. Interestingly, participants in this session reported greater regard for these variables than participants in the other experimental sessions where the student investigator wore khaki pants and polo shirt. These findings may be explained by ____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The findings can be explained by demand characteristics, which suggest that participants may have altered their responses based on cues from the experimental environment, in this case, the attire of the student investigator, to align with what they perceived were the expectations of the study.

Upon Entering an Experimental Session, Participants Were Greeted by a Student