No matter how artificial an experimental situation may at first appear, if participants think, feel, or react the way that people in a real-life situation would react, the experiment has __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Psychological realism refers to the extent to which an experimental situation, although artificial, feels real to participants, thus eliciting genuine emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that they would display in a natural setting. High psychological realism is essential for experimental studies to avoid producing misleading or invalid results caused by participants' awareness of the study objectives or socially desirable responses, also known as demand characteristics. Internal validity, on the other hand, pertains to the degree to which an experimental design accurately measures the causal relationship between the independent and dependent variables. While internal validity is crucial for research findings, it does not directly address the issue of psychological realism. Therefore, Option A is the most suitable answer. Option C, low psychological realism, and Option D, low demand characteristics, are incorrect because they do not reflect the essential ingredient for conducting valid and insightful experimental research: realistic and authentic human reactions, thoughts, and feelings.

No Matter How Artificial an Experimental Situation May at First