Dr Garland Is Interested in Understanding How People Get So

question 13

Multiple Choice

Dr. Garland is interested in understanding how people get so invested in conspiracy theories and studies a group of college undergraduates to determine how their willingness to agree with certain claims related to personality characteristics. What might prevent Dr. Garland from generalizing the results of this study to the larger population of conspiracy theory adherents?

• A) experimenter bias
• B) sample bias
• C) the placebo effect
• D) the lack of adequate controls

---

Definitions:

Social Facilitation

The tendency for people to perform differently when in the presence of others than when alone, typically showing improved performance on simple or well-rehearsed tasks.

Audience

A group of people who gather to watch, listen to, or read something, or who are targeted to receive a specific message or product.

Performance

The act of carrying out a task or function; how well an individual or group executes a given task.

Majority Influence

The effect that the larger group has on individuals causing them to conform or change their opinions to align with the group's.