A researcher designs a study to determine whether female preschoolers prefer sweetened or unsweetened cereal. The researcher uses a box of sweetened colorful cereal and a box of unsweetened tan colored cereal. The research finds that the group of preschoolers ate more of the sweetened colorful cereal and therefore prefers the sweetened cereal. Which two variables are confounded in this experiment?
A) Color of the cereal and children's gender
B) Color of the cereal and sweetness of the cereal
C) Sweetness of the cereal and amount of eating
D) Children's gender and amount of eating

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The two variables that are confounded in this experiment are the color of the cereal and the sweetness of the cereal. This is because the two variables are not independent of each other. The sweetened cereal happens to be colorful, while the unsweetened cereal happens to be tan in color. Therefore, it is impossible to determine whether the preschoolers preferred the cereal because of its color or its sweetness.

A Researcher Designs a Study to Determine Whether Female Preschoolers