expectancy effect

Categories: Site glossary

refers to the influence of people's expectations on outcomes. In experimental research the expectations of those involved in a study may act as a confounding factor, and influenced the measured outcomes. If  researchers/participants expect one treatment to be superior to another, this can lead to measured differences without regard to the inherent qualities of the different treatments.

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Author: Keith

Former school and college science teacher, teacher educator, research supervisor, and research methods lecturer. Emeritus Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.