Psychology homework help! independent variables.../sample experiment!?

Question

In 1998 a British research team was interested in studying infant nutrition & childhood intelligence. With parental permission, the researchers randomly assigned some infants to receive standard formula fedings & others to donated breast milk feedings. When given an intelligence test called the WISC at age 8, the children who had breast milk had much higher scores than the formula fed ones.
What is the independent variable [IV]?
How is the I.V. operationally defined?
What is the dependent variable [DV]?
How is the DV operationally defined?
How do the researchers know that the infants in the breastfed group werent already more intelligent?
What is a possible theory that would help explain the outcome of this experiment?
What would you add to the exp. to make sure that the researchers did not score the intelligence tests of the children given breastmilk? What is this called?

Any responses would REALLY help me out! Thanks so much in advance.

Answer 1

The IV is the feeding options. Intelligence is the dependent variable (it was dependent on the feeding options).
The researchers assume the infants in the breastfed group weren't already more intelligent because the babies were randomly assigned to the groups. Given large enough groups this should result in equal distribution of levels of intelligence in both groups.
The researchers should not score the intelligence tests of (ANY) of the babies. That could result in bias.

Answer 2

What is the independent variable [IV]?
The one that the psychologists controlled (did they control the food or the smarts?)

How is the I.V. operationally defined? what was it?

What is the dependent variable [DV]? What did they measure?

How is the DV operationally defined? how did they measure it?

How do the researchers know that the infants in the breastfed group weren't already more intelligent? You didn't give enough info to properly analyze this. I'd look at control and assumed bell curve.

What is a possible theory that would help explain the outcome of this experiment? There are lots of theory's. Try google. Its a very famous study.

What would you add to the exp. to make sure that the researchers did not score the intelligence tests of the children given breastmilk? What is this called? google, it starts with a D

Answer 3

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