What happens if demand characteristics are not addressed in research?

When demand characteristics are not addressed in research, participants can alter their behavior based on their expectations or perceptions of what the study is about. This phenomenon occurs when individuals form hypotheses about the research's purpose and respond in ways they believe align with what the researchers expect to observe. For example, if participants think they should behave a certain way, they may unconsciously adjust their responses or actions to fit that expectation, thus skewing the results.

Understanding demand characteristics is crucial for researchers because such biases can lead to outcomes that do not accurately reflect the intended study variables, ultimately compromising the validity of the research. Therefore, addressing these characteristics is essential to ensure that the behavior recorded is a genuine reflection of the phenomena under investigation, not a product of participant assumptions or social desirability pressures.

This context helps clarify why it is vital to consider demand characteristics in any experimental design to obtain reliable and valid data.