Question:
A researcher is interested in the effects of cocaine on learning. A group of rats is randomly assigned to receive either cocaine or a non-harmful saline solution. The rats are taught how to run a maze. The cocaine rats need to be reared away from the control group rats, so they are handled and taught by one experimenter, and the control group rats are handled and taught by another experimenter. The results showed that the control group rats learned how to run the maze more quickly than the cocaine rats. What is the independent variable? What is the dependent variable? What is the confounding? How could the confounding be fixed?

Question:
A researcher conducts a study to determine whether smiling affects students’ interest in the course material. In her 8am Physiological Psychology course, she never smiles while teaching. In her 9am Physiological Psychology course, she smiles often while teaching. At the end of the semester, she gives students a questionnaire to assess the extent to which students liked the course material. The results showed that the 9am class liked the course material more than the 8am class. What is the independent variable? What is the dependent variable? What is the confound? How could the confound be fixed?

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