A social psychologist investigates if the degree of similarity to characters in reality TV shows affects feelings of schadenfreude. College-student participants watch two shows, one with similar characters (college students) and another with dissimilar characters (celebrities). Measures of schadenfreude are obtained after each show. In addition, participants are asked how similar the characters in the show are to them. This question is an example of a(n):

Manipulation checks are variables that are measured to show what the manipulated variables affect in addition to the dependent variable of interest.
An experimenter manipulates some part of a process or task and randomly assigns individuals to varying levels of the manipulation in experiments ("experimental conditions").
The investigator then looks to see if changes in the controlled factors induce changes in the dependent variable.
Manipulation tests are performed on variables other than the dependent variable of interest.

Psychologists study the connections between brain function and behavior, as well as the environment and conduct, and use what they find to better understand and improve the world around us.
Therefore, this question is an example of a manipulative check.

Know more about manipulation here:

https://brainly.com/question/15746180

#SPJ4