Tanya was told that she was participating in a study about coupon use at a local supermarket. In reality, her implicit attitudes regarding gender were being studied. This is an example of:
A) blind observation.
B) reactivity.
C) active deception.
D) nonconcealment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Active deception occurs when participants are intentionally misled or deceived about the true purpose of a study, in this case by telling Tanya that the study was about coupon use when it was really about her implicit attitudes towards gender. This is different from nonconcealment, where participants are fully aware of the true purpose of the study, and blind observation, where observers do not know the identity of participants. Reactivity refers to how participants may alter their behavior or responses due to being observed or studied, but this does not apply in this scenario as Tanya was not aware of the true purpose of the study.

Tanya Was Told That She Was Participating in a Study