Observational Study vs. Experiment

One group of subjects was given an herbal supplement and another group was given a placebo. After one year, the number of illnesses each group had was compared.

• Observational Study

• Experiment

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.5

A researcher stood at a school parking lot entrance to see if the color of a car is related to the driver not wearing a seatbelt.

• Observational Study

• Experiment

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

CCSS.HSS.ID.B.5

A professor finds that people who are obese have higher cholesterol levels than those who are not obese.

• Observational Study

• Experiment

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

Four groups of randomly selected people are assigned a different diet. After six months, the blood pressures of each group are compared.

• Observational Study

• Experiment

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.5

You want to see if students who have a 4.0 grade point average study more than those who do not.

• experiment

• observational study

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.5

You want to compare the health of students who walk to school to the health of students who ride the bus

• experiment

• observational study

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

CCSS.HSS.ID.A.2

CCSS.HSS.ID.A.3

A researcher randomly assigned boys and girls to each of two groups. One group was assigned to watch a violent television program while the other group watched a nonviolent program. The children's behavior was then recorded for incidences of aggressive behavior. This research method is best characterized as...

• experimental

• Observation

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.5

A psychologist designed a study to test the effects of cell phone use on driving safety. Participants were randomly assigned either to drive an automobile simulator while talking to a friend on a cell phone or to drive a simulator without talking on a phone.

Which type of research does the scenario describe?

• Experiment

• Observation

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.5

To test the effects of breakfast on grades I ask my students if they ate breakfast and then compare the breakfast eaters grades to the non-breakfast eaters.

This is an example of:

• Observational study

• Experiment

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

Rats with cancer are divided into two groups. One group receives 5 milligrams of a medication that is thought to fight cancer and the other receives 10 mg. After 2 years, the spread of cancer is measured.

• Observational Study

• Experiment

Tags

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.3

CCSS.HSS.IC.B.5