The effects on an EXPERIMENT of the CONSCIOUS or UNCONSCIOUS attempts by the experimenter to influence the outcome in the direction predicted. This is an important and pervasive problem, as the outcome of virtually every published experiment is in the predicted direction. The ramifications of this PHENOMENON are much wider than the experimental situation.
See also DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS, DOUBLE-BLIND TECHNIQUE, INTERVIEWER BIAS, ROSENTHAL EFFECT and SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.
