Question

Your professor has designed a research study to examine the effects of alcohol on reaction time. She has 24 subjects. Eight receive 2 ounces of vodka, eight students receive 4 ounces of vodka, and eight students receive 4 ounces of alcohol flavored/ scented non-alcoholic beverage. Following consumption of the beverage, they play a video driving game in which their responses are timed. They do not know what they are drinking nor what the purpose of the study is, but the person administering the game does know whether and how much alcohol they received. Describe the following as they apply to the above study What is/are the Independent variable(s). How is it/are they operationally defined?

Answer 1

The independent variable in this experiment is the amount of alcohol.

The dependent variable in this experiment is the reaction time of the responses of the subjects during the video game.

Operational definition of independent variable:

Alcohol is known to be a psychoactive drug that slows the faculties of cognition and perception. Thus, it would interfere with the reaction time of the subjects during the experiment.