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Answer this short question 1. Researchers conducted a naturalistic study of...

Nov 16, 2023

Answer this short question 1. Researchers conducted a naturalistic study of children between the ages of 5 and 7 years. The researchers visited classrooms during class party celebrations. As a measure of hyperactivity, they recorded the number of times children left their seats. The researchers found a strong positive correlation between sugary snacks offered at the parties and hyperactivity. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that sugar causes hyperactivity. A. How might the following explain why people may easily accept the conclusion of the study described above? Confirmation bias A vailability heuristic Misunderstanding of correlational studies B. As a follow-up study, the researchers are designing an experiment to test whether sugar causes hyperactivity. For the experiment, please do the following. State a possible hypothesis. Operationally define the dependent variable. Describe how random assignment can be achieved. C. Based on the results of the follow-up experiment described in Part B, researchers conclude that sugar does not cause any change in hyperactivity. Draw a correctly labeled bar graph depicting this result.

Key Concept

Confirmation bias, availability heuristic, misunderstanding of correlational studies

Explanation

People may easily accept the conclusion of the study due to confirmation bias if they already believe that sugar causes hyperactivity and thus interpret the findings as supporting their preconceived notions. The availability heuristic might lead people to overestimate the relationship because instances of hyperactive behavior after sugar consumption are more memorable. Lastly, a common misunderstanding of correlational studies is the assumption that correlation implies causation, which is not necessarily true, as correlation does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

Key Concept

Hypothesis, operational definition of the dependent variable, random assignment

Explanation

A possible hypothesis could be: "Children who consume sugar will exhibit more hyperactive behavior than children who do not consume sugar." The dependent variable, hyperactivity, could be operationally defined as the number of times a child leaves their seat during a 30-minute observation period. Random assignment can be achieved by using a random process, such as flipping a coin or using a random number generator, to assign participants to either the experimental group (receiving sugar) or the control group (not receiving sugar) to ensure that each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any group, thereby controlling for other variables.

Key Concept

Bar graph depiction of results

Explanation

A correctly labeled bar graph would have two bars of equal height, representing the experimental group (children who consumed sugar) and the control group (children who did not consume sugar). The y-axis would represent the level of hyperactivity, measured by the operational definition (e.g., number of times leaving the seat), and the x-axis would label the two groups. Since the conclusion is that sugar does not cause any change in hyperactivity, the bars would be the same height, indicating no significant difference between the groups.