Darley and Gross (1983) Conducted a Study in Which They

question 118

Multiple Choice

Darley and Gross (1983) conducted a study in which they asked participants to evaluate the intellectual ability of a nine-year-old named "Hannah." Some participants were led to believe that she came from a high socioeconomic (SES) background; others were led to believe she came from a low SES background. Which of the following statements about this study is accurate?

• A) Only for perceivers who actually met the target (i.e., Hannah) in person did expectation influence perceptions.
• B) Perceivers' expectations determined the way they behaved toward the target, which in turn influenced the target's behavior.
• C) Perceivers' expectations led them to fail to notice clear limitations of the target's actual performance.
• D) Perceivers' expectations affected their perceptions of the target's performance, even when that performance was identical across conditions.

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Definitions:

Random Assignment

A method used in experiments to evenly distribute participants across various groups, ensuring that each has an equal chance of being assigned to any group.

Selection Bias

The assignment of participants to experimental or control groups in such a way that systematic differences among the groups are present at the beginning of the experiment.

Placebo Effect

A phenomenon where a person experiences a perceived improvement in condition due to their expectations, rather than the effect of an active intervention.

Placebo Effect

A psychological phenomenon where patients experience perceived or actual improvements in their condition due to their belief in the efficacy of a treatment that is inert or not specifically effective for the condition being treated.