A professor wanted to examine the effects of diet on learning. He put some laboratory rats on a starvation diet (Group A)but eliminated only desserts from the diet of a second group (Group B). During the experiment, the professor discovered that he needed more Group B rats, so he caught some in a local alley. The results of the experiment showed that Group B rats were faster at learning a maze, so the professor concluded that diet is related to learning speed. Which of the following statements is the most accurate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The professor's conclusion is incorrect because introducing rats from a local alley into Group B introduces a confounding variable, as these rats may have different characteristics affecting learning speed, unrelated to diet.

A Professor Wanted to Examine the Effects of Diet on Learning