Methodological Controls for Social Psychological Problems in Experimentation.

The article discusses problems related to drawing of valid inferences from the data of various social psychology research. Traditionally the problem of experimental contamination was given much attention by the textbooks and journals, warning the researcher of subtle and difficult problems and suggesting stringent solutions. A new set of problems and considerations for the researcher were underscored by recent developments in the social psychological area of experimentation. Concern now is directed to the nature of the interaction between experimenter and subject and to how subject performance may be affected by unintentional experimenter influence. Contamination, unintended or deliberately contrived, occur throughout the literature. Such illustrations can serve as instructive warnings to the prospective researcher of the fatal dangers if contamination problems are not considered and reasonable controls devised. The primary sources of social contamination take three broad forms prior manipulation, experimenter influence and the attitudes of the subject.