Dr. Bloomin wants to investigate the impact of talking to plants on their growth. He decides to talk to a group of 40 tulips each day for six weeks. A second group is not talked to at all. After six weeks he discovers that the tulips he talked to are five centimetres taller than the tulips not talked to. This study is best described as:
A) an observational study
B) a case study
C) a meta-analysis
D) an experiment

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an experiment because the researcher manipulated the independent variable (talking to the plants) and measured the dependent variable (plant growth) in order to establish cause-and-effect relationships. The study involved a control group (the group that was not talked to) and experimental group (the group that was talked to), which is a defining characteristic of an experiment.

Dr Bloomin Wants to Investigate the Impact of Talking to Plants