Question

Does daily caffeine intake make subjects better at memory tasks? A study was conducted in which the daily habits of 40 college students were documented, focusing on how much caffeine they consumed in a week. After a week, the subjects were given a computer-based memory test on which they received a score on a 0 to 100 point scale. Their scores were compared with how much caffeine they consumed that week.

Select one or more:
This is best described as an observational study.
The explanatory variable is the amount of caffeine consumed.
This study is best described as an experiment.
The explanatory variable is the score on the computer-based memory test.
The response variable is the score on the computer-based memory test.
The response variable is the amount of caffeine consumed.

Answer 1

Correct options:

This is best described as an observational study.

The explanatory variable is the amount of caffeine consumed.

The response variable is the score on the computer-based memory test.

Explanation:

This is only an observational study and this is not an experiment because the experimenter is not manipulating the Independent Variable: the amount of caffeine consumed. to find its effect on the dependent variable: the score on the computer-based memory test. There are no 2 independent groups: Control group and Experimental group, as required in an experiment.

The explanatory variable is the amount of caffeine consumed. because effect of the amount of caffeine consumed is being studied.

The response variable is the score on the computer-based memory test. because score on memory test is the variable of interest to the researcher.