To Determine the Effects of a New Memory-Enhancing Pill,a Researcher

question 13

Multiple Choice

To determine the effects of a new memory-enhancing pill,a researcher randomly assigns 30 women to one of two conditions.In the first condition,each subject is given a pill and then told to try to memorize a list of 20 nonsense words.In the second condition,subjects are simply asked to try to memorize the word list.Results indicated that subjects who received the pill got an average of 12 items correct,whereas the no-pill group recalled only 6 items.In this experiment,the independent variable is the

• A) sex of the subjects.
• B) number of words recalled.
• C) pill versus no-pill condition.
• D) use of nonsense words.

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Definitions:

Thalidomide

A drug that caused birth defects when used by pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s, now used under strict controls for some diseases.

Insomnia

A sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Nausea

A sensation of discomfort in the stomach often accompanied by an urge to vomit, commonly experienced due to a variety of causes such as illness, medication, or motion sickness.

Addicted Newborn

A newborn suffering from withdrawal symptoms as a result of exposure to addictive substances while in the womb.