Essay

Describe why experiencing all experimental conditions in a within-subjects design makes it easier for participants to guess the researcher's hypothesis, and state the two specific ways this awareness can change their behavior.

Question: Describe why experiencing all experimental conditions in a within-subjects design makes it easier for participants to guess the researcher's hypothesis, and state the two specific ways this awareness can change their behavior.

Sample answer: In a within-subjects design, participants experience all experimental conditions, which allows them to compare the conditions and easily guess the underlying hypothesis. Once participants guess the hypothesis, their behavior can change in two main ways: they may judge situations in a way they think is expected of them, or they may try to behave similarly across all conditions in an unnatural effort to be 'fair'.

Key points:

  • Experiencing all experimental conditions makes it easier to guess the hypothesis.
  • Participants may judge situations in a way they think is expected of them.
  • Participants may try to act similarly across conditions in an unnatural effort to be 'fair'.

Rubric: To receive full credit, the response must identify that experiencing all conditions facilitates hypothesis guessing, and describe the two behavioral changes: acting in an expected way, or acting similarly across conditions to be fair.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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KPU

Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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