A sociologist sets up an experiment on the effects of energy drinks on sleep.The individuals who are given a placebo drink are considered to be the
A)independent variable.
B)control group.
C)experimental group.
D)dependent variable.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The control group is the group that is given the placebo, or in other words, a substance with no active ingredient, in order to serve as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group. Therefore, the individuals who are given a placebo drink in this experiment are part of the control group. The independent variable is the variable that is being manipulated by the researcher, which in this case would be the energy drinks. The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured or observed, which in this case would be the amount and quality of sleep.

A Sociologist Sets Up an Experiment on the Effects of Energy