Research Question

[S6MD]

This is kind of off the wall, but I was looking for the term that describes the situation where people involved in a test will respond in accordance with the researchers, simply because they know they are involved in a study.

I googled for a bit, but couldn't find it.

Thanks!

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[ucbsmd]

Are you referring to the Bradley or Wilder effect?

 

[S6MD]

nope, not that.

 

[kami333]

Attention bias?

 

[S6MD]

Nope, that's not what I'm looking for either. So, it might be easier to explain if I relate it to focus group type studies. Let's say you were asked to be in a focus group about Domino's pizza (yes, I drew inspiration from those really lame commercials).

If you were asked questions about Domino's pizza, you might be motivated to respond in a way that would agree with what you believed the researchers were attempting to determine (let's say the researchers were trying to find a link between consuming pizza and increased health). You might say, knowing the goal of the study, that you feel healthier after you eat a pizza, even though you really don't.

I'm pretty sure there is a word to describe such bias. Just can't think of it. Not a random ? either, I need it to finish up my own research project :/

 

[courtnes]

Are you talking about perceived authority effects? As in a patient perceives a research physician to be in a position of authority and wants to confirm what they think the doctor wants to hear?

Or something more similar to a confirmation bias? Though that's more related to the researcher, not the subject-researcher interaction.

 

[S6MD]

Are you talking about perceived authority effects?

I think that's definitely warmer, but that is more linked to the "white-coat effect" I believe. Ahhh, it's floating around my brain somewhere - c'mon neurons, find one another.

 

[courtnes]

Yeah, that's how I got there too. I'd maintain they are a little different, with perceived authority playing more into trust relationships (this person is an expert, therefore I should trust what they say) than white coat effects (those being more symbol has meaning inducing physiologic effects.)

It's been a long time since my psych major years...

 

[RomanCandle]

Google "Good Subject Effect" and see if that's what you're looking for, or try the "Subject-expectancy Effect":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subject-expectancy_effect

 

[premed414]

Subject bias or demand characteristics?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demand_characteristics

 

[RomanCandle]

Subject bias or demand characteristics?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demand_characteristics

Yeah, that Wiki page links to the Hawthorne effect. I think that's what he was talking about.