A behavioral neuroscientist is testing the effects of adrenaline on memory using a group of 12 rats.The researcher is unsure about how much adrenaline might produce an effect on memory.One group of rats will be injected with placebo saline (0 micrograms of adrenaline).The other group will be injected with a dose of adrenaline.When deciding between a 2-microgram dose or an 8-microgram dose (both of which are safe), the researcher opts to use the 8-microgram dose.The researcher has:
A) made a Type II error.
B) exaggerated the difference between the levels of the independent variable, thereby increasing statistical power.
C) exaggerated the difference between the levels of the independent variable, thereby decreasing statistical power.
D) given the rats an overdose of adrenaline.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Choosing a higher dose of adrenaline (8 micrograms instead of 2 micrograms) increases the difference between the experimental and control groups. This larger difference can make it easier to detect any effects of adrenaline on memory, thereby increasing the statistical power of the study. Statistical power is the probability that the study will detect an effect if there is one.

A Behavioral Neuroscientist Is Testing the Effects of Adrenaline on Memory