Your Text Describes a Study in Which Pregnant Mothers Read

question 82

Multiple Choice

Your text describes a study in which pregnant mothers read aloud to their unborn infants from one of two Dr. Seuss books. Later, as newborns, the babies could hear the story they had been read by sucking on a pacifier in a particular manner. By sucking on the pacifier in a different way, they could hear an unfamiliar story. What is the dependent variable in this study? What did the researchers find?

• A) The dependent variable is the story to which the infants had been exposed prenatally. The researchers found that infants displayed no preference for the story to which they had been exposed.
• B) The dependent variable is the story to which the infants had been exposed prenatally. The researchers found that infants preferred the story to which they had been exposed.
• C) The dependent variable is the way the infants sucked on the pacifier. The researchers found that infants displayed no preference for the story to which they had been exposed.
• D) The dependent variable is the way the infants sucked on the pacifier. The researchers found that infants preferred the story to which they had been exposed.

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Definitions:

Long-term Memories

Memories that can be retained for extended periods of time, ranging from days to decades, and include events, facts, and experiences.

Hippocampus

A critical structure within the brain involved in memory formation, organization, and retrieval, as well as spatial navigation.

Specialized

Adapted or designed for a specific purpose or function.

Brain Stem

The part of the brain connecting the spinal cord with the forebrain and cerebrum, responsible for basic life functions such as breathing and heartbeat.