Answer:
The term that best describes the phenomenon where researchers' own hidden biases and expectations influence their perception of events is "self-fulfilling prophecy."
A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when a researcher's preconceived beliefs or assumptions about a situation lead them to interpret events in a way that confirms those beliefs. In other words, their expectations about a certain outcome can influence their observations and actions, ultimately bringing about the very outcome they had assumed.
For example, if a researcher expects that students who receive additional support will perform better academically, they may inadvertently provide more attention and resources to those students, leading to improved performance. In this case, the researcher's belief influenced their behavior, resulting in the outcome they had anticipated.
It is important for researchers to be aware of their biases and strive for objectivity in order to minimize the impact of self-fulfilling prophecies on their studies. By employing rigorous research methods, such as randomization and blinding, researchers can reduce the influence of their own expectations and biases, enhancing the validity and reliability of their findings.
Regarding the statement "An advantage to random samples is that it enables the use of statistical probabilities that are necessary in many statistical procedures," the statement is true. Random sampling allows researchers to generalize their findings from a sample to a larger population. By selecting participants randomly, researchers can make statistical inferences and calculate probabilities, which are essential in many statistical procedures used to analyze data and draw conclusions about the population as a whole.