5. Demand Characteristics

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this fifth and final module, we think about demand characteristics, focusing in particular on: (i) influence being exerted by the researcher themselves, through ‘fixing’ an experiment (whether consciously or not) to provide the result desired by the their hypothesis; (ii) demand characteristics that arise from the participant(s) wanting to adhere to the experimenter’s expectations and desires for their results; (iii) the importance of removing these demand characteristics as best as is possible, in order to gain the most valid results.

Course

This course, by Dr Ashok Jansari (Goldsmiths, University of London) explores points of consideration and control when designing and undertaking a scientific study. In the first module, we think about measurement levels by clearly defining nominal, ordinal, and interval data. In the second module we consider how to construct a questionnaire, utilising open and closed questioning. We then move on to look at variables by closely reviewing the role of independent, dependent, and extraneous variables within a study. In the fourth module, we think about experimental controls, going beyond just extraneous variables to think about randomisation and counterbalancing. In the fifth and final module, we discuss demand characteristics and their impact, both as those which originate in the researcher as well as in the participant.

Lecturer

Dr Ashok Jansari is a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Dr Jansari’s research interests include memory disorders, prosopagnosia, executive functions, and synaesthesia. Dr Jansari is most famous for his research into prosopagnosia, having made numerous TV appearances, including on BBC1’s The One Show, as well as hosting his own ‘Neuro Talk’ YouTube channel. His recent publications include 'Acquired synaesthesia following 2C-B use' (2019), 'Using virtual reality to investigate multitasking ability in individuals with frontal lobe lesions' (2019), and 'Identification from CCTV: Assessing police super-recogniser ability to spot faces in a crown and susceptibility to change blindness' (2018).