<p>Often, experimental designs in psychology contain a target participant (who receives the experimental manipulation) and then also other types, such as:</p>

<p>control: no intervention, or a different intervention
confederate: fake participant (actor, or often research assistant)
observer: in social influence paradigms</p>

<p>perhaps foil is a confederate. Hard to know without you providing the source.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-29T19:03:54.033Z
Thanks, but what is the difference between a "distractor" and a "foil"?
Tasha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-30T07:42:16.600Z
See recent answer
Cameron Brick
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-23T10:29:31.137Z
2019-05-23T10:29:31.137Z
Cameron Brick
<p>A <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199534067.001.0001/acref-9780199534067-e-8270" rel="nofollow noreferrer">target</a> is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A stimulus that a research participant or subject is searching for or
  trying to concentrate on, and that in research is often accompanied by
  distractors.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>And a <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199534067.001.0001/acref-9780199534067-e-3226" rel="nofollow noreferrer">foil</a> is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In research methodology, another name for a distractor.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For example, in a multiple choice question, the correct answer is the "target", and the rest are "foils" or distractors.  This is similar to a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_lineup" rel="nofollow noreferrer">police lineup</a>, where the suspect is the "target", and the rest are "foils" or fillers.  "Foil" and "distractor" are synonyms.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-30T04:55:12.733Z
2019-05-30T04:55:12.733Z
Arnon Weinberg
<p>What is the difference between </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"target"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>and </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"foil"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>in experimental design in psychology?  And how is a foil different from a distractor?</p>

<experimental-psychology><experiment-design><terminology>
What is the difference between "target" and "foil" in experimental design?
Tasha
# What is the difference between "target" and "foil" in experimental design?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-23)

What is the difference between

> "target"

and

> "foil"

in experimental design in psychology? And how is a foil different from a distractor?

**Tags:** experimental-psychology, experiment-design, terminology


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-05-23. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

Often, experimental designs in psychology contain a target participant (who receives the experimental manipulation) and then also other types, such as:

control: no intervention, or a different intervention
confederate: fake participant (actor, or often research assistant)
observer: in social influence paradigms

perhaps foil is a confederate. Hard to know without you providing the source.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks, but what is the difference between a "distractor" and a "foil"?  
> **username_1**: See recent answer  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-05-30. Score: 2

A [target](https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199534067.001.0001/acref-9780199534067-e-8270) is:

> A stimulus that a research participant or subject is searching for or
> trying to concentrate on, and that in research is often accompanied by
> distractors.

And a [foil](https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199534067.001.0001/acref-9780199534067-e-3226) is:

> In research methodology, another name for a distractor.

For example, in a multiple choice question, the correct answer is the "target", and the rest are "foils" or distractors. This is similar to a [police lineup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_lineup), where the suspect is the "target", and the rest are "foils" or fillers. "Foil" and "distractor" are synonyms.


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