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Chapter 2: Problem 4

A researcher wants to see whether a protein-enriched diet will enhance the maze-running performance of rats. One group of rats are fed the high-protein diet for the duration of the study; the other group continues to receive ordinary rat chow. In this experiment, the diet fed to the two groups of rats is the ______________ variable. A. correlated B. control C. dependent D. independent

Short Answer

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Answer: Independent

Step by step solution

01

Define the types of variables

First, let's understand the definitions of the four types of variables in question: A. Correlated variable: A variable that shows a relationship or association with another variable. B. Control variable: A variable that is held constant in an experiment to minimize its effect on the outcome. C. Dependent variable: A variable that is measured to observe the effect of the independent variable; its value depends on the independent variable. D. Independent variable: A variable that is manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable.
02

Identify the independent variable in the experiment

Now let's analyze the given experiment: 1. There are two groups of rats – one group is fed a protein-enriched diet, while the other receives ordinary rat chow. 2. The researcher wants to see whether the protein-enriched diet will enhance the maze-running performance of rats. In this experiment, the type of diet is the variable that is being manipulated (high-protein diet vs. ordinary rat chow) to observe its effect on the maze-running performance of rats (the dependent variable).
03

Choose the correct option

Based on the definitions and the experiment, we can conclude that the diet fed to the two groups of rats is the "independent variable" because it is being manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the maze-running performance. So, the correct answer is: D. Independent

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A psychologist monitors a group of nursery-school children, recording each instance of helping behavior as it occurs. The psychologist is using: A. the experimental method. B. naturalistic observation. C. case studies. D. the survey method.

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