Question

beryl is conducting an observational study and has trained two raters to use the rating instrument. both of the raters drop out just after the study has begun, so beryl has to substitute in less well-trained raters. beryl has increased the risk of .

Answer 1

Beryl has increased the risk of observer bias by substituting in less well-trained raters, as this could affect the inter-rater reliability and validity of the observational study.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Beryl substituted in less well-trained raters after the trained raters dropped out of an observational study, she increased the risk of observer bias. Observer bias occurs when the individuals assessing the study outcomes unconsciously skew their observations to fit their own expectations or the research goals.

To minimize the impact of observer bias, it is crucial to have clear criteria for recording and classifying behaviors, and to ensure that inter-rater reliability is high - this means that different observers would consistently record the same observations under the same conditions. Less experienced raters might have a harder time maintaining this consistency, potentially affecting the study's validity.

Beryl cannot be sure that the observations made by the replacement raters will be as reliable as those who would have been made by the initially trained raters, especially if the new raters are pr less knowledgeable about the established criteria for assessment.