In One Study, Participants in Group 1 Were Given a Pill

question 67

Multiple Choice

In one study, participants in Group 1 were given a pill and told, "This pill will make you a bit jumpy, will make your palms sweat, and may give you butterflies in your stomach." Participants in Group 2 were given the same pill, but they were told, "This pill may make you a little sleepy." In both cases, the pill was a placebo. All participants were then exposed to electric shocks and were asked to rate how painful each shock had seemed. Given other evidence, we would expect that

• A) there would be no difference between the two groups.
• B) the participants would not differ in how they rated the shocks, but participants in Group 2 would end up having more positive feelings about the experiment.
• C) the participants in Group 2 would rate the shocks as less painful than the participants in Group 1.
• D) the participants in Group 1 would rate the shocks as less painful than the participants in Group 2.

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Definitions:

Mathematical Models

Representations of real-world systems or phenomena using mathematical concepts and language to analyze and predict behaviors.

Bureaucracy

A system of governance or organization characterized by standardized procedures, hierarchical structure, and formal rules.

Max Weber

A German sociologist, philosopher, and political economist whose ideas influenced social theory and social research, known for his works on bureaucracy and organizational structures.

Specialisation and Division of Labour

The organizational strategy of breaking down the production process into smaller tasks, with each worker or group of workers specializing in a particular element, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.