In a Laboratory Experiment, Researchers Treated Pine Seedlings from Puerto

question 53

Multiple Choice

In a laboratory experiment, researchers treated pine seedlings from Puerto Rico with mycorrhizae collected from pine forests in the southeastern United States. Results were favorable for increased seedling growth in the trees treated with mycorrhizae. Suppose when the researchers then tried this same experiment in the field, pine tree seedlings treated with mycorrhizae showed minimal growth differences from the control group. All but one of the listed factors could have contributed to these results. Choose the exception.

• A)Researchers in the lab provided greater nutrient concentrations to the two groups of trees.
• B)Weather conditions in the field were not favorable for tree growth whereas the laboratory environment provided ideal growing conditions.
• C)Mycorrhizae in the laboratory functioned separately from the plant roots.
• D)Researchers planted a large number of seedlings in the laboratory but only a minimal number in the field, so their sample size in the field was not large enough to show a possible effect.

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Definitions:

Motor Skills

The abilities required to control the precise movements of muscles to perform specific actions, often divided into fine (small movements) and gross (larger movements) motor skills.

Classically Conditioned Associations

Learned connections between two stimuli, established through conditioning, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, eliciting a response.

Three-Stage Information-Processing Model

A framework in cognitive psychology that describes how information is processed in three stages: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

Sensory Memory

The shortest-term element of memory, where sensory information is retained for a very short period of time, such as a few seconds.