Sam conducted a naturalistic observation as a project for a psychology class. He observed the interactions of parents and children at a restaurant. Many of the people he observed seemed to notice him. When Sam described his work to his teacher, she suggested he find out more about the ________.
A) restaurant effect
B) parent effect
C) butterfly effect
D) observer effect

Question

Sam conducted a naturalistic observation as a project for a psychology class. He observed the interactions of parents and children at a restaurant. Many of the people he observed seemed to notice him. When Sam described his work to his teacher, she suggested he find out more about the ________.
A) restaurant effect
B) parent effect
C) butterfly effect 
D) observer effect

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The observer effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals being observed become aware of the observer's presence and may change their behavior as a result. In this case, because many of the people Sam observed seemed to notice him, it is likely that the observer effect was at play.

Sam Conducted a Naturalistic Observation as a Project for a Psychology