Example
1
Dr. Imanut wants to examine whether a new drug increases the maze running performance of older rats. Just like aging humans, older rats show signs of poorer memory for new things. Dr. Imanut teaches two groups of older rats to find a piece of tasty rat chow in the maze. One group of rats is given the new drug while they are learning the maze. The second group is not given the drug. One week after having learned the maze he retests the rats and records how long it takes them to find the rat chow.
What is the independent variable?
Hint: What did the researcher manipulate (allow
to vary) in this study?
a) age of the rats.What is the dependent variable? Hint: What was the measure of the research subjects' responses?
b) type of maze.
c) length of time it took the rats to run the maze.
d) presence or absence of the new drug.
a) age of the rats.
b) type of maze.
c) length of time it took the rats to run the maze.
d) presence or absence of the new drug.
Example 2
A researcher wanted to study the effects of sleep deprivation on physical coordination. The researcher selected 25 year-old male college students and deprived some of the subjects to either 24, 36, or 45 hours of sleep.
In the present study the independent variable was:
a) the length of time the subjects were deprived of sleep.In the present study the dependent variable was:
b) the age of the subjects.
c) the gender of the subjects.
d) the physical coordination skills of the subjects.
a) the length of time the subjects were deprived of sleep.Answer
b) the age of the subjects.
c) the gender of the subjects.
d) the physical coordination skills of the subjects.
A researcher wanted to know whether the number of people present would influence subjects' judgments on a simple perceptual task. In each case the other members of the group gave an incorrect answer. The researcher then noted whether the subject conformed to the group decision.
In the present study the independent variable was:
a) the number of people in the group.In the present study the dependent variable was:
b) whether the group members gave the correct or incorrect answer.
c) whether the subjects conformed with the group.
d) the type of perceptual task.
a) the number of people in the group.Answer
b) whether the group members gave the correct or incorrect answer.
c) whether the subjects conformed with the group.
d) the type of perceptual task.
An investigator had 60 subjects watch a videotaped re-enactment of a bank robbery. Half of the subjects were asked by a police investigator to recall the event, while the remaining subjects were interviewed by a police investigator while they were hypnotized.
In the present study the independent variable was:
a) whether a police investigator was used.In the present study the dependent variable was:
b) whether subjects were hypnotized.
c) how much subjects recalled.
d) what subjects watched.
a) whether a police investigator was used.
b) whether subjects were hypnotized.
c) how much subjects recalled.
d) what subjects watched.
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