Why Did Participants in an Experiment Conducted by Ellen Berscheid

question 119

Multiple Choice

Why did participants in an experiment conducted by Ellen Berscheid and her colleagues (1968) derogate their victims unless they thought they would switch roles with the victim and receive shocks themselves? In this case,participants

• A)reasoned that the victim would have a chance to even the score.
• B)were motivated to justify their cruel behaviors.
• C)experienced maximal dissonance,and convinced themselves that the victim deserved it.
• D)chose to become a victim,too,in order to make the situation more fair.

---

Definitions:

Hypothesized Mean

The mean value of a population parameter that is proposed in the null hypothesis, serving as a basis for testing statistical significance against observed data.

Standard Deviation

A measure of the dispersion or variability of a set of data points, quantifying how much the values differ from the mean.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

A standardized test designed to measure various aspects of human intelligence and cognitive ability in adults.

Z-score

A metric that shows how many standard deviations away a specific data point lies from the average.