A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What does the term 'confederate' mean in the context of psychological experiments?

1. A participant unaware of the experiment's true purpose

2. A researcher monitoring participant behavior

3. Someone secretly colluding with the experimenter

4. A control subject in a study

The correct answer is: Someone secretly colluding with the experimenter

In psychological experiments, the term 'confederate' refers to an individual who is part of the research team but is presented to the participants as a fellow participant or another person who is unaware of the experiment's true purpose. This individual's role is crucial as they help manipulate the social situation or environment to elicit specific responses from the actual participants, thereby allowing researchers to observe genuine interactions and behaviors. Using a confederate effectively creates a controlled variable within the social dynamics of the study. By having the confederate perform specific actions or react in particular ways, researchers can assess how other participants respond under certain social conditions or stimuli. This method is commonly used in social psychology, such as in studies investigating conformity, obedience, or group dynamics. The other choices do not accurately reflect the role of a confederate, as a participant unaware of the experiment's true purpose is often referred to as a naive participant, a researcher monitoring behavior indicates a person conducting the study, and a control subject is a participant who does not experience the experimental treatment but is part of a different group.