You Go to Africa to Study Elephants

question 162

Multiple Choice

You go to Africa to study elephants. You follow one particular group, and one day you observe the other members of the group gather around a sick and dying elephant. The healthy elephants shuffle and trumpet and act in an agitated manner. You conclude that they are sad because one of their members is dying. Without any other evidence, you have just

• A)committed the anthropomorphic error.
• B)become involved in the observer effect.
• C)engaged in research participant bias.
• D)created an empirical fallacy.

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Definitions:

Its Magnitude

Describes the size, extent, or importance of something, often used to express the degree of impact or significance.

Cognitive Dissonance

is the psychological discomfort experienced when holding two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values.

Caveat Emptor

A Latin phrase meaning "let the buyer beware," implying that the buyer is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made.

Approach-Avoidance

A psychological conflict that occurs when a situation or objective has both desirable and undesirable aspects that make it simultaneously appealing and repelling.