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interest the subject did not previously feel, the measuring process maydistort the experimental results (1959: 97).As in the previous section, we shall distinguish between effects which resultfrom characteristics that are inherent in the participants, and those that are theresult of participant orientations.Participant characteristicsIn the preceding section we paid attention to the influence of some of thebetter-known participant characteristics such as gender, racial group, and statusin the interaction between researcher and participant. We now turn briefly tothree further well-known subject effects: memory decay, the omnisciencesyndrome, and interview saturation.(i)Memory decayAccording to Smith (1975) the researcher has to accept that there is a naturaldecay in the ability to remember events which is positively correlated with (i)the length of time that has elapsed since the occurrence of the event, (ii) theirregular occurrence of the event, (iii) the relative unimportance of the event,and (iv) decreased accessibility to relevant data relating to the event.Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za(ii)The omniscience syndromeSome respondents appear to believe that they are capable of answering anyquestion. It is, therefore, imperative that the researcher be sensitive to this typeof effect to avoid the inclusion of responses that are not authentic. Brislin et al.(1973) discuss this phenomenon in more detail.(iii)Interview saturationPareek and Rao (1980) quite correctly indicate that some members of society,and particularly those who live in the metropolitan areas, have become so usedto market surveys, for example, that they tend to reply to questions in amechanical and superficial manner. Apart from the fact that a response of thisnature can be identified in the interview situation, initial refusal or reluctanceon the part of the respondent is usually also a good indication of an oversaturatedrespondent.Participant orientations(i)Role selectionOne of the most far-reaching participant effects is associated with the par-87