A pharmaceutical company wanted to test a new drug developed to lessen the effects of the common cold. To test this drug, scientists tested 50 volunteers, each of whom was suffering the effects of a cold. Twenty five of the people were given the drug, while the other 25 were given a placebo, a sugar pill. None of the participants knew who was taking which pill. All participants received a pill at 8:00 am daily for the first three days of the study. All participants lived in the same environment, with the same climate, eating the same diet, and having the same level of activity. The severity of the cold, hence the effectiveness of the pill, was determined by the number of tissues each person used within 24 hours. At the end of a seven day period, it was concluded that those with the sugar pill had their symptoms disappear as well as those who had taken the new wonder drug. The executive committee decided to produce the drug anyway thinking that the public would do anything to relieve the symptoms of a cold. Type of Variable Description Dependent Variable that the researchers actually measurers, counts or observes. It is what the researcher thinks will change in response to the experimental treatment. Independent Variable that is intentionally changed by the researcher. Standardized or Controlled These variables are held constant between each group to help prevent these factors from influencing the dependent variable. Table Source: CA Surmacz (2004) Inquiring Minds Want to know: Introducing Freshmen to Experimental Design. In Tested studies for laboratory teaching. MA O'Donnell, Ed. Vol 25 Mini Workshops. Assoc. Biology Laboratory Education pp. 316-327. 1) State the research question the study aimed to address
2) What is the hypothesis?
3) Identify the independent variable versus the dependent variable.
4) What variables were held constant in this study?
5) What was the control group?
6) What data was collected during the study?
7) What this data qualitative or quantitative?
8) What was the study's conclusion?