In experimental research, what is the term for an individual who acts as a participant but is actually part of the study setup?

In experimental research, the term for an individual who acts as a participant but is actually part of the study setup is a confederate. Confederates are strategically used by researchers to create specific scenarios or manipulate social interactions within the experiment. Their role is to engage with genuine participants while following a predetermined script or set of instructions. This enables researchers to observe reactions and behaviors in a controlled environment, adding depth to the data collected.

Understanding the role of a confederate is crucial as it allows researchers to investigate various psychological phenomena, such as social influence, conformity, and behavioral responses, without the participant being aware that they are part of the manipulation. This method helps maintain the integrity of the experimental design and enhances the validity of the findings. Other terms like debriefing, control group, and manipulated variable serve different functions in experimental research and do not refer to individuals posing as participants within the study.