An experiment with one independent variable

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Design an experiment with one independent variable (with at least two levels) and one dependent variable. Additionally, what levels of measurement would you use when collecting your data?

Example: XYZ hospital wanted to increase compliance of staff using hand sanitizer after every interaction with a patient. In order to gain compliance, they set up a buzzer when staff exited the patient’s room. For the treatment group, a buzzer would ring for 1 second after exiting the room unless staff had pressed the hand sanitizer lever. The control group did not have the buzzer activated, so no sound would emit when exiting the patient’s room.

Independent Variable: Presence of a buzzer sound or not.

Dependent Variable: Number of times the hand sanitizer lever was pressed.

Sample Solution

Designing an Experiment: The Impact of Background Music on Student Focus

Independent Variable:

  • Presence of Background Music:
    • Level 1: No background music
    • Level 2: Soft classical music

Dependent Variable:

  • Student Performance on a Cognitive Task: This will be measured quantitatively, using a standardized test or a specifically designed quiz.

Experimental Design:

  1. Participant Selection: A random sample of students will be selected from a specific grade level.
  2. Experimental Groups: The participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
    • Experimental Group: Students will study in a room with soft classical music playing in the background.
    • Control Group: Students will study in a quiet room without any background music.
  3. Task Administration: All participants will be given the same cognitive task (e.g., a problem-solving test or a reading comprehension test) under their assigned conditions.
  4. Data Collection: The performance of each participant on the cognitive task will be recorded.

Measurement Levels:

  • Independent Variable (Presence of Background Music): Nominal (categorical)
  • Dependent Variable (Student Performance): Interval (numerical)

Hypothesis:

  • Null Hypothesis (H₀): There is no significant difference in student performance between the experimental and control groups.
  • Alternative Hypothesis (H₁): Students in the experimental group (with background music) will perform significantly better on the cognitive task than students in the control group.

Ethical Considerations:

  • Informed Consent: Participants should be informed about the study and their right to withdraw at any time.
  • Confidentiality: Participant data should be kept confidential.
  • Equal Treatment: All participants should be treated fairly and ethically.

By conducting this experiment, we can gain insights into the impact of background music on student focus and performance.

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