The Participants in the Crum and Langer Hotel Experiment Were

question 362

Multiple Choice

The participants in the Crum and Langer hotel experiment were not individually assigned to the experimental or control group. Instead, each hotel was randomly assigned to one of the two conditions. What was the reason for this?

• A) There was a potential confounding variable because if the housekeeping staff at a particular hotel were assigned to two different conditions, they might talk to each other about what they had been told.
• B) The experimenters were trying to avoid the demand characteristics associated with recruiting participants for a natural experiment.
• C) The researchers wanted to avoid a potential confounding variable related to practice effects.
• D) There was a potential confounding variable because if the housekeeping staff at a particular hotel were assigned to two different conditions there would be intense competition between them to improve productivity at the hotel.

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Definitions:

Real-Life Example

An actual, practical instance or occurrence that illustrates or clarifies a principle, concept, or phenomenon, grounding theoretical discussions in everyday experience.

Learned Helplessness

A condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed, leading to diminished motivation and learning.

External Locus

The belief that one's successes or failures result from external factors beyond their control, as opposed to internal factors like effort and decision-making.

Fate

A predetermined course of events often considered to be beyond human control.