What term is used for changes in subjects' behavior that stem from the researcher's attitudes or expectations?

The term that describes changes in subjects' behavior driven by the researcher's attitudes or expectations is known as the Rosenthal Effect. This concept highlights how a researcher's beliefs and expectations can inadvertently influence participants, leading them to perform in ways that align with those expectations.

For example, if a researcher believes a treatment will have a positive effect, they may unconsciously communicate this belief through their behavior or tone, which can lead participants to respond more positively than they might otherwise. This effect underscores the importance of maintaining objectivity and minimizing bias in research to ensure that findings are a true reflection of the phenomenon being studied, rather than an artifact of the research process itself.

The other terms, while related to research dynamics, do not specifically focus on the influence of the researcher’s expectations on the subjects' behavior in the same way. Demand characteristics refer to the cues that participants pick up from the study setting that may inform how they are expected to behave. Experimenter bias refers to the systematic errors that occur when a researcher's expectations inadvertently influence the study's outcomes, but it is a broader term that is not limited solely to participant behavior. The self-fulfilling prophecy, though similar in nature, typically refers to broader societal beliefs influencing behavior, not necessarily driven