Demand Characteristic

Definition of Demand Characteristic

The Canada social science dictionary [1] provides the following meaning of Demand Characteristic: As used in experimental psychology, refers to unintended features of the experiment which affect the results, thus compromising the internal validity of the study. The term is also used in the sociology of deviance to refer to those organizational features of work settings, other than the formal goals of the organizations or principles such as due process or fairness, which shape arrest decisions, plea bargaining, or jury deliberations. Examples of demand characteristics which police officers may attend to in making decisions on the street are the informal expectations of police culture, their work load, their need to accumulate overtime or organizational rules.

Demand Characteristic: Resources

Notes and References

• Drislane, R., & Parkinson, G. (2016). (Concept of) Demand Characteristic. Online dictionary of the social sciences. Open University of Canada