Problem:
Participants were college students who were invited into a laboratory for an experiment titled "The effect of word length on memory." In the waiting room, a confederate (actor) staged an accident where it appeared that the participant had spilled water on the confederate's laptop. The confederate reacted with either anger ("How could you have been so clumsy?!") or despair ("Oh no, my laptop! I just lost my term paper!"). Participant reactions to the confederate were recorded by a camera hidden in the ceiling. Is it likely that there will be a Hawthorne effect in this example? Need Assignment Help?
Yes, a Hawthorne effect is always possible in experimental research.
No, a Hawthorne effect is unlikely in observational research.
No, because the design uses deception to minimize any Hawthorne effect.
Yes, the participants were likely naturally suspicious.