While studying the impact of ginkgo biloba on memory, a researcher has one group of rats on a normal diet while the other rat group is given measured doses of ginkgo biloba with their meals. While observing the rats run a complicated maze, the researcher notes that the ginkgo biloba-enhanced rats' maze is more brightly lit than the normal diet rats' maze. The difference in lighting in this study is a(n)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The difference in lighting between the two mazes is not a deliberate manipulation by the researcher and is therefore an extraneous variable that could affect the rats' performance on the maze. This makes it a confound. The independent variable is the ginkgo biloba, the dependent variable is likely the rats' performance on the maze, and a hypothesis has not been given in the scenario.

While Studying the Impact of Ginkgo Biloba on Memory, a Researcher