Representativeness of Subjects in Experiments

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Questions and Answers

What is a common personality trait found in volunteers participating in experiments, as per the text?

Intelligence

Authoritarianism

Sociability (correct)

Political attitudes

What is a common weakness observed in participant-observer studies?

Lack of proper record-keeping

Difficulty in remaining objective and unbiased (correct)

Strict adherence to quantitative data collection

Over-reliance on systematic observation techniques

Which of the following is NOT a personality trait mentioned in relation to volunteers participating in experiments?

Intelligence

Social desirability

Liberal social attitudes

Authoritarianism (correct)

In which type of experiment is it crucial to recruit subjects from the university population or outside randomly to avoid bias, as stated in the text?

Experiments with volunteer subjects Signup and view all the answers

What is a key consideration that needs to be addressed before conducting observational research?

Potential contribution to psychological knowledge Signup and view all the answers

Which ethical concern is raised regarding participant-observer studies?

Invading the privacy of others Signup and view all the answers

Why is random subject selection important in experiments involving volunteer subjects?

To reduce experimenter bias Signup and view all the answers

What does an archival study involve as a research method?

Reexamining existing records for new research purposes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a context variable mentioned in the text related to research procedures?

Subject pool recruitment Signup and view all the answers

What can be a potential source of data for archival studies?

Records collected by government and private agencies Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a common characteristic of people willing to volunteer for experiments according to the text?

Higher intelligence Signup and view all the answers

Why do participant-observers gather qualitative data instead of using measurement techniques?

To provide a subjective account of their impressions Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of running a double-blind experiment?

To control for experimenter bias Signup and view all the answers

How does a warm and friendly experimenter affect subjects' responses?

Subjects are more likely to comply with the experimenter's demands Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key advantages of using volunteer subjects in experiments?

They may bring typical subject characteristics to the study Signup and view all the answers

How do double-blind experiments help control demand characteristics?

By keeping both subjects and experimenters unaware of the treatment Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of errors would be expected to support researchers' hypotheses if it were due to chance?

~50% Signup and view all the answers

How does a cold and aloof experimenter affect subjects' behavior in experiments?

Subjects may exhibit compliance issues Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Volunteer Subjects

Volunteers in experiments tend to be more sociable and score higher in social desirability than non-volunteers (Crowne & Marlowe, 1964).
Volunteers also tend to hold more liberal social and political attitudes and are less authoritarian than non-volunteers.
On average, volunteers score higher on intelligence tests than non-volunteers.

Context Variables

Context variables include subject recruitment, selection, and assignment procedures.
Context variables can affect the results of an experiment, particularly when recruiting from a university population.

Experimenter Bias

Experimenter bias can be controlled using double-blind experiments, where the subjects and experimenter are unaware of the treatment being received.
Double-blind experiments can eliminate experimenter bias and the effects of demand characteristics.

Personality Variables

An experimenter's personality can affect the results of an experiment, with a warm and friendly experimenter eliciting different responses than a cold and aloof one.
Personality variables of experimental subjects, such as typical characteristics shared by volunteers, can also impact the results.

Participant-Observation Studies

Participant-observer studies involve qualitative data gathering, often without systematic observation or measurement techniques.
Weaknesses of participant-observer studies include difficulty in remaining objective and unbiased, and potential ethical concerns.

Archival Studies

Archival studies involve re-examining existing records for a new purpose.
Many opportunities for field research exist in existing data archives, such as government and private agency records, hospital records, and more.

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Description

Explore the concept of whether subjects in experiments are truly representative of the population based on research findings. Learn about how volunteers in experiments may exhibit certain personality traits, social attitudes, and intelligence levels compared to nonvolunteers.