An experiment examined whether giving children recess prior to testing helped their test performance. For one of the semesters, the researcher sends half of the classes out for 10 minutes of recess prior to testing. For the other half, he provides 10 minutes of free time after the test. The students in the non recess condition decided they would try harder on the tests because they did not go to recess. This is an example of a(n)
A) Experimenter threat.
B) John Henry effect.
C) Placebo effect.
D) Hawthorne effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The John Henry effect occurs when participants in the control group alter their behavior because they know they are in the control group, often trying harder as a form of compensation. This is what happened with the students who did not get recess; knowing they were in a different condition, they decided to try harder on the tests.

An Experiment Examined Whether Giving Children Recess Prior to Testing