Limitations of experiments

A researcher says that he is testing to see if men are better at problem solving than woman. As a result, the women are offended and do not put any effort into the task.

• Expectancy effect

• Reactivity

• Screw you effect

• Social desirability

Mark goes in to see a counselor about better study strategies. The counselor asks him to solve a math problem for her while she watches how he goes about it. Mark begins to feel very anxious and makes a lot of mistakes. The counselor suggests he sees someone for math anxiety.

• Expectancy effect

• Reactivity

• Screw you effect

• Social desirability

Sarah is told that she is going to interview a few people who are introverts. As a result, she she does not ask them probing questions or ask for more information with regard to her questions.

• Expectancy effect

• Reactivity

• Screw you effect

• Social desirability

Jerry is asked to discuss his marriage of twenty years. He talks about how wonderful his wife is and how happy he is and that he doesn’t remember ever fighting with her.

• Expectancy effect

• Reactivity

• Screw you effect

• Social desirability

Gary is asked about his sugar consumption. He says that he eats very little sugar - maybe a piece of chocolate every two to three weeks.

• Expectancy effect

• optimism bias

• Screw you effect

• Social desirability

A teacher wanted to study how his own students solved problems. He found his students were creative and used divergent thinking strategies.

• Researcher bias

• Construct validity

• Internal validity

• Ecological validity

A researcher carried out a field study to see how music in a restaurant affected the level of tipping.

• Researcher bias

• Construct validity

• Internal validity

• Ecological validity

In the cakes of deception study, the taste of the first cake may have influenced their evaluation of the second cake.

• Fatigue effects

• Interference effects

• Practice effects

Researchers wanted to see if noise had an effect on a person’s ability to recall a list of words. The researcher read a list of 40 words with music - and then another list without music.

• Fatigue effects

• Interference effects

• Practice effects

A researcher wanted to see if praise affected a person’s ability to solve a maze. The participants did the maze without praise and then after receiving praise, did it again.

• Fatigue effects

• Interference effects

• Practice effects