Question

Participant Reactivity Think about how participants might react to environmental cues in an experimental situation and create a hypothetical study on assertiveness. It is important for you to remember that the study should not be designed to test participant reactivity. Summarize the study in a few sentences, and explain how some specific items in the laboratory environment in your made-up study might cause participants to respond in a particular way. What could be done in your study to reduce participant reactivity?

Answer 1

Participant Reactivity
Reactivity, as defined, is when an individual's behavior or actions are affected by the fact that one is being observed.

Assertiveness
Assertiveness is the ability to handle situations by expressing and asserting one's rights while being empathetic about others.

Study of Assertiveness
The study shall involve the participants to undergo camping where each of them is assigned tasks and have titles associated.

Their rights and duties are read out prior to the study. How they assert their right and behave accordingly is to be monitored.

Activities may include, physical training, mind training, day-to-day chores etc.,

Environmental cues affecting the study

• An environment where participants are aware that their behavior is being monitored (Using video cameras, CCTV cameras and the such). The participants having GPS or tracking devices to monitor movements in case of large area simulations.
• The participants have a mic or recording device attached to capture what they speak.
• The presence of a source such as water source or machine source which can hamper the voice recording clarity.
• If the participant discovers a blind spot, that may be used to his/her advantage.

All of the above mentioned are environmental factors that affect the reactivity of a participant.

Ways to reduce the effect of environmental cues

• By eliminating any blind spots or disruptive add-ons such as a large water source or a huge machinery, reactivity studies will get less affected.
• By eliminating the participant's knowledge of where the monitoring devices are placed (i.e., video cameras), better results can be expected.