Researchers who were interested in the effects of alcohol consumption on perceived attractiveness of members of the opposite sex randomly assigned participants to two groups. Each participant in the first group received a fruit flavored drink containing a set amount of alcohol and those in the second group received an identical tasting drink with no alcohol. Next, the participants viewed pictures of members of the opposite sex and rated their attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 10. What was the operational definition of the treatment or independent variable?
A) receiving an alcoholic drink or an identical tasting drink with no alcohol
B) blood alcohol content
C) rating perceived attractiveness on a 1-to-10 scale
D) taste of the drinks

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The operational definition of the treatment or independent variable in this study is receiving an alcoholic drink or an identical tasting drink with no alcohol. This is because the researchers are interested in how the consumption of alcohol affects participants' ratings of attractiveness, and the independent variable is the presence or absence of alcohol.

Researchers Who Were Interested in the Effects of Alcohol Consumption