Demand characteristics, in social research and particularly in psychology, is an experimental artifact in which participants form their own interpretation of an experiment's purpose and subconsciously change their behavior to fit that interpretation. Participants may adjust their responses to match what they believe the experimenter expects to see, and while such artifacts cannot be eliminated from research entirely, their effects can be studied and accounted for in how an experiment is designed.
Facts
Classification
Type of Phenomenon Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Demand characteristics
en.wikipedia.org: Demand characteristics
Demand characteristics (Wikipedia)
In Group: Expectancy and Experimenter Effects, LeadQuote, In Group: Expectancy and Experimenter Effects, Lead
In social research, particularly in psychology, the term demand characteristic refers to an experimental artifact where participants form an interpretation of the experiment's purpose and subconsciously change their behavior to fit that interpretation.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.