The Experimenter Expectancy Effect (EEE) is a phenomenon in psychological research in which the expectations of the experimenter can influence the results of a study. The effect was first described in the late 19th century by psychologist Walter R. Miles, who observed that the presence of the experimenter could have an effect on the results of the experiment. Since then, the EEE has been studied extensively and has been used to explain numerous results in psychological studies.
The EEE occurs when the experimenter has an expectation about the outcome of a study and this expectation is inadvertently communicated to the participants. For example, if the experimenter expects that a particular treatment will be effective, they may unconsciously communicate this expectation to the participants, leading them to behave in ways that support the expectation. This can lead to a bias in the results and can distort the results of a study.
The EEE has been studied in various contexts, such as in studies of attitudes, social interaction, and clinical research. In one study, experimenters were found to have an influence on the results of a study on attitudes towards refugees (Garcia, 2020). In this study, the experimenters’ expectations were found to influence the results, with the experimenters’ expectations being more likely to be accurate when the experimenters had more experience. This finding demonstrates that the EEE can be a powerful influence in psychological research.
The EEE can also be a problem in clinical research. In one study, experimenters’ expectations were found to influence the results of a study of pain relief (Chen et al., 2019). The experimenters’ expectations of how effective the treatment was going to be were found to influence the results of the study, with participants being more likely to report relief from pain when the experimenters had higher expectations.
The EEE is an important phenomenon to consider in psychological research and can have a significant influence on the results. To reduce the influence of the EEE, researchers must be aware of the potential for the effect and take steps to reduce its influence. This can include making sure that experimenters are aware of the potential for the effect and taking steps to reduce the influence of the experimenter’s expectations.
In conclusion, the Experimenter Expectancy Effect is a phenomenon in psychological research in which the expectations of the experimenter can influence the results of a study. The effect can be a significant influence in psychological research and can lead to biased results. To reduce the influence of the EEE, researchers must be aware of the potential for the effect and take steps to reduce its influence.
References
Chen, T. M., Chen, S. C., & Lai, S. C. (2019). The effect of experimenter expectancy on pain relief: An experimental study. Scientific Reports, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-50356-6
Garcia, A. (2020). The experimenter expectancy effect: How expectations influence attitude change. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(3), 312-320. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550619860892