A Researcher Conducting a Study on the Effectiveness of a New

question 105

Multiple Choice

A researcher conducting a study on the effectiveness of a new prescription medication gives the actual medication to a group of people. A second group of participants are told they are receiving the medication but instead are given an inert sugar pill. Though the drug is found to be effective for the people who actually took it, a sizeable percentage of the people given the sugar pill also improve. The improvement of this second group is most likely due to

• A)experimenter expectancy effects
• B)the placebo effect
• C)social desirability bias
• D)sampling bias

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Definitions:

Transformation

A thorough or dramatic change in form, appearance, or character.

Steel Workers

Individuals employed in the steel industry, involved in the production and processing of steel.

Role Confusion

A situation in which an individual or group is unsure about the expectations or behaviors associated with a particular social position or role.

Role Playing

The act of adopting behaviors, actions, or attitudes expected of a particular social position or status, often as a pedagogical or therapeutic technique.