Question

Identify the factors, levels, and total number of groups for each of the following research examples.

State both the number of levels for each factor and describe each in words.

A researcher notes that male-female pairs of fraternal twins share a similar environment in a mothers’ womb. This exposes the female twin to higher levels of the hormone testosterone during prenatal development. This hormone is thought to be responsible for masculinizing the brain (it leads to male-typical behaviors). Likewise, the male twin is exposed to higher levels of the hormone estrogen. This hormone is thought to be responsible for feminizing the brain (it leads to female-typical behaviors). To test whether exposure to testosterone and estrogen may influence male and female typical behavior, the researcher selected a sample of female-male fraternal twins and compared them to identical twins of each gender (male, female). She measured tendencies toward aggression using an aggression assessment where higher scores indicated greater aggression (a male-typical trait). It was hypothesized that if hormone exposure influenced behavior, then aggression scores will vary among the groups.

Dependent variable:           _______________________________________

Factor A:                            _______________________________________

Levels of Factor A:                        _______________________________________

Factor B:                             _______________________________________

Levels of Factor B:             _______________________________________

Number of groups:             __________

Answer 1

Based on the given data, a variable what you observe or measure during in the experiment is called dependent variable (effect or output). In the given case study, you are observing the sexual orientation of paternal twins, which depends on the hormonal transfer. Thus,

• Dependent variable: Number of children exhibiting improper sexual behavior
• Factor A: Effect of testosterone on females
• Levels of Factor A: The index of aggression
• Factor B: Effect of progesterone on males
• Levels of Factor B: The index of aggression
• Number of groups: It may vary from experiment to experiment