Demand Characteristics in Psychology Experiments

In a psychological experiment, a demand characteristic is a subtle cue that makes participants aware of what the experimenter expects to find or how participants are expected to behave. Demand characteristics can change the outcome of an experiment because participants will often alter their behavior to conform to expectations.

How Do Demand Characteristics Influence Psychology Experiments?

In some cases, an experimenter might give hints or cues that might make the participant believe that a particular outcome or behavior is expected. It is important to note that the participant may or may not be right in their guess. Even if the individual is wrong about the experimenter’s intentions, it can have a profound influence on how the participant behaves.

For example, the subject might take it upon themselves to play the role of the “good participant.” Instead of behaving as they normally would, these individuals strive to figure out what the experimenter wants and then live up to these expectations.

Demand characteristics might also motivate participants to behave in ways that they think are socially desirable (to make themselves look “better” than they really are) or in ways that are antagonistic to the experimenter (an attempt to throw off the results or mess up the experiment).

Example

Some participants were informed of the purpose of the study and were told that the researchers wanted to look at menstrual cycle symptoms. The informed participants were significantly more likely to report negative premenstrual and menstrual symptoms than participants who were unaware of the study’s purpose.

Dealing With Demand Characteristics

So how exactly dopsychologyexperimenters go about reducing the potential impact of demand characteristics on their research results? Researchers typically rely on a number of different strategies to minimize the impact of demand characteristics.

Deception is a very common approach. This involves telling participants that the study is looking at one thing when it is really looking at something else altogether.

ExampleInAsch’s conformity experiment, participants were told that they were taking part in a vision experiment. In reality, the researchers were interested in the role that social pressure plays inconformity. By disguising the true intentions of the experiment, researchers are able to minimize the possibility of demand characteristics.

InAsch’s conformity experiment, participants were told that they were taking part in a vision experiment. In reality, the researchers were interested in the role that social pressure plays inconformity. By disguising the true intentions of the experiment, researchers are able to minimize the possibility of demand characteristics.

In other cases, researchers will minimize the contact that they have with study subjects. Adouble-blind studyis a method used in which neither the participants nor the researchers interacting with them are aware of the condition to which the participants have been assigned. Having people who are not aware of the experimenter’s hypothesis collect the data from participants helps reduce the chances that the subjects will guess what the study is about.

While it is not always possible to completely eliminate the chance that participants might guess what a study is about, taking a few of these precautions can help minimize the impact that demand characteristics will have on theresearchresults.

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.McCambridge J, de Bruin M, Witton J.The effects of demand characteristics on research participant behaviours in non-laboratory settings: A systematic review.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(6):e39116. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039116Aubuchon PG, Calhoun KS.Menstrual cycle symptomatology: The role of social expectancy and experimental demand characteristics.Psychosom Med. 1985;47(1):35-45. doi:10.1097/00006842-198501000-00004Morgan TJ, Laland KN.The biological bases of conformity.Front Neurosci.2012;6:87. doi:10.3389/fnins.2012.00087U.S. National Library of Medicine.Double-blind study.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.McCambridge J, de Bruin M, Witton J.The effects of demand characteristics on research participant behaviours in non-laboratory settings: A systematic review.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(6):e39116. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039116Aubuchon PG, Calhoun KS.Menstrual cycle symptomatology: The role of social expectancy and experimental demand characteristics.Psychosom Med. 1985;47(1):35-45. doi:10.1097/00006842-198501000-00004Morgan TJ, Laland KN.The biological bases of conformity.Front Neurosci.2012;6:87. doi:10.3389/fnins.2012.00087U.S. National Library of Medicine.Double-blind study.

McCambridge J, de Bruin M, Witton J.The effects of demand characteristics on research participant behaviours in non-laboratory settings: A systematic review.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(6):e39116. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039116Aubuchon PG, Calhoun KS.Menstrual cycle symptomatology: The role of social expectancy and experimental demand characteristics.Psychosom Med. 1985;47(1):35-45. doi:10.1097/00006842-198501000-00004Morgan TJ, Laland KN.The biological bases of conformity.Front Neurosci.2012;6:87. doi:10.3389/fnins.2012.00087U.S. National Library of Medicine.Double-blind study.

Aubuchon PG, Calhoun KS.Menstrual cycle symptomatology: The role of social expectancy and experimental demand characteristics.Psychosom Med. 1985;47(1):35-45. doi:10.1097/00006842-198501000-00004

Morgan TJ, Laland KN.The biological bases of conformity.Front Neurosci.2012;6:87. doi:10.3389/fnins.2012.00087

U.S. National Library of Medicine.Double-blind study.

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How Do Demand Characteristics Influence Psychology Experiments?#

Example#

Dealing With Demand Characteristics#

How Do Demand Characteristics Influence Psychology Experiments?

Example

Dealing With Demand Characteristics