As part of her graduate research Lydia conducted a study on how college students respond to hypothetical moral dilemmas. She read the dilemmas aloud to the participants and then asked a series of questions. When a participant responded in a manner that supported her hypothesis, Lydia nodded slightly in agreement. Lydia's behavior illustrates the concept of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Lydia's behavior of nodding slightly in agreement is likely to influence participants' responses, as they may try to give answers that they believe are consistent with what Lydia expects or wants to hear. This is an example of demand characteristics, which refers to cues in an experiment that convey information about the study's purpose or how participants are expected to behave.

As Part of Her Graduate Research Lydia Conducted a Study