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The Relationship Between Participant & Investigator

The Relationship Between Participant & Investigator. Many investigations create a social situation involving both researcher and participant This relationship can affect the outcome of the study, threatening validity Investigator effects Demand characteristics. psychlotron.org.uk.

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The Relationship Between Participant & Investigator

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  1. The Relationship Between Participant & Investigator • Many investigations create a social situation involving both researcher and participant • This relationship can affect the outcome of the study, threatening validity • Investigator effects • Demand characteristics psychlotron.org.uk

  2. Types of Investigator Effect • Experimenter behaviour effects • Experimenters react to PPs as people (and PPs react to experimenters) • Behaviour of experimenter may affect attitude of PPs towards the task • E.g. conveying dislike for some PPs, conveying impression that a task is difficult etc. may affect motivation psychlotron.org.uk

  3. Types of Investigator Effect • Expectancy effects • The investigator has an idea of what outcome to expect in a study • (1) They may be biased in the observations they make, being more disposed to see things that are in line with expectations • (2) They may communicate their expectations to the PPs psychlotron.org.uk

  4. Types of Investigator Effect • Demand characteristics • Cues that the participants use to work out the experimental aim • They may alter their behaviour as a result either: • (1) in line with expectation (pleasing the experimenter) • (2) away from expectation (’screw you’; Masling, 1966) psychlotron.org.uk

  5. Sources of Demand Characteristics • Poor research design decisions • E.g. exposing pps to knowledge of both conditions when it’s important they don’t know what the IV is • Researcher behaviour/expectancy • E.g. unintentional reinforcement of desired responses psychlotron.org.uk

  6. Dealing with Issues • Pilot the procedure • Get feedback from pilot pps • Did they understand everything? • Did they realise what the aim was? • Did they pick up on any particular aspects of the researcher’s behaviour? psychlotron.org.uk

  7. Dealing with Issues • Standardise everything • I.e. ensure it is exactly the same for all the PPs • Instructions given • Procedures followed psychlotron.org.uk

  8. Dealing with Issues • Single blind procedure (standard) • Prevent pps from finding out what the aim is • Problem: can never be sure the researcher won’t give cues • Double blind procedure • Prevent pps from being cued at all by employing a researcher to carry out the procedures who does not know the aim of the research psychlotron.org.uk

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