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Related Experiment Videos

Task demand not so damning: Improved techniques that mitigate demand in studies that support top-down effects.

Emily Balcetis1, Shana Cole2

  • 1Department of Psychology,New York University,New York,NY 10003.emilybalcetis@nyu.eduhttp://www.psych.nyu.edu/balcetis/.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|March 31, 2017
PubMed
Summary

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Firestone and Scholl's methods for reducing demand characteristics in research are flawed. Five superior techniques for mitigating demand in top-down effect studies are presented, urging consistent evaluation standards.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Research Methodology

Background:

  • Demand characteristics can bias research findings by influencing participant behavior.
  • Existing methods, such as Firestone and Scholl's, to control demand characteristics are proposed to be inadequate.
  • Top-down effects in psychological research require robust methods to ensure validity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critique the Firestone and Scholl (F&S) techniques for managing demand characteristics.
  • To introduce and review five superior methods for mitigating demand characteristics in research.
  • To advocate for consistent evaluation standards for evidence on both sides of research debates.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on demand characteristics and mitigation techniques.
  • Analysis of the theoretical and practical limitations of the F&S techniques.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Identification and description of five alternative methods for demand characteristic mitigation.

    • Main Results:

    • The Firestone and Scholl techniques are fundamentally flawed as they introduce new forms of demand.
    • Five superior techniques for mitigating demand characteristics in confirmatory studies of top-down effects have been identified.
    • The reviewed techniques offer more effective solutions for controlling participant bias.

    Conclusions:

    • Researchers should abandon the flawed Firestone and Scholl methods for demand characteristic control.
    • The five presented superior techniques provide a more rigorous approach to studying top-down effects.
    • Consistent and high standards of evidence evaluation are crucial for all research, regardless of the hypothesis.