Demand Characteristics
Demand Characteristics
- During the research process there are likely to be instances of interaction between the researcher and the participant
- These interactions can affect the findings of the research
- Participants often look for clues as to what is expected of them and what the researcher is looking for
- The participants may be affected by demand characteristics
- Demand characteristics could include:
- The participant guessing the purpose of the research and trying to please the researcher by acting in the desired way or giving the answers they think the researcher is hoping to find
- The participant guessing the purpose of the research and trying to annoy the researcher by purposely giving the wrong results, this is known as the 'screw you' effect
- The participant may also change their behaviour and act unnaturally out of fear, nervousness and even Social desirability
Investigator Effects
- Investigator effects are when the researcher influences the results of the research which could include:
- The researcher could be biased in their interpretation of data (which may be unconscious), forming conclusions which support their experimental hypothesis
- The researcher's characteristics, such as age, gender and ethnicity, could influence how participants interact with them e.g. they may remind a participant of a schoolmate who bullied them or a schoolmate they had a crush on!
- Other personal characteristics of the researcher such as their accent and tone of voice can impact how participants react to them and to the research process generally
