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response bias

1. the tendency for a study participant to give one answer or type of answer more than others, regardless of the stimulus condition. There are several different types of response bias, including the halo effect, nay-saying, and yea-saying. See also response set; response style.

2. in signal detection theory more specifically, the overall willingness to say yes (signal present) or no (signal not present), regardless of the actual presence or absence of the signal.

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Psychology term of the day

October 15th 2024

Kohnstamm test

Kohnstamm test

a demonstration frequently used to prepare an individual for hypnosis. The participant is asked to press an arm backward against a wall for a minute or two and then to step away, allowing the arm to relax. What follows is a natural reflexive tendency for the arm to rise, known as Kohnstamm’s phenomenon. Believing that the reflex has occurred because of the hypnotist’s instructions for the task, the participant becomes more inclined to be susceptible to further suggestions during subsequent hypnosis. Also called Kohnstamm maneuver. [Oskar Kohnstamm (1871–1917), German physician]