This note presents a serendipitous result of an operant experiment on choice in human communication. Evidence suggests that demand characteristics associated with the experimenter-subject relationship can control verbal utterances and over-ride programmed operant contingencies.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
OrneM. T.On the social psychology of the psychological experiment: With particular reference to demand characteristics and their implications. American Psychologist, 1962, 17, 776–783.
2.
OrneM. T.EvansF. J.Social control in the psychological experiment: Antisocial behavior and hypnosis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1965, 1, 189–209.
3.
PierceW. D.EplingW. F.GreerM. S.Human communication and the matching law. In BradshawC. M.SzabadiE.LoweC. F. (Eds), Quantification of steady state operant behavior. England: Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press, 1981. Pp. 345–348.