Effects of false feedback about response lengths of subjects perception of an interview.

Abstract

Summary Sixty-four female freshmen were interviewed about various attitudes toward their college. Halfway through the interview, three groups of subjects were told falsely by the experimenter that their responses to the questions had been significantly longer than average, of about average length, or significantly shorter than average. A fourth group of subjects was given no false feedback. Subjects with longer than average false feedback increased their response lengths significantly during the last half of the interview and rated the interview questions significantly more favorably than other subjects. Subjects with shorter than average false feedback also gave significantly longer responses during the second half of the interview, but did not differ from average false feedback and no feedback subjects in their favorability toward the interview questions. Results of the study were discussed in terms of Bem's self-perception theory.