Verbal Cues in the Mediation of Experimenter Bias

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Abstract
In a replication of Rosenthal's experimenter bias study, 6 male Es obtained significantly higher ratings when expecting high ratings from their 5 female Ss than when expecting low ratings ( n = 5 each) in a person-perception task. The instructions read by these Es were tape recorded and played back in the absence of any E (non-visual condition) to a second set of Ss. It was concluded from the significant bias effect in the non-visual condition that verbal cues are sufficient mediators of E bias. Suggestions were made as to the nature of the bias transmission process in this study.