8-3 Surveys, Experiments, and Observational Studies

Determine whether the situation is an experiment or observational study.

A park employee wants to know if latex paint is more durable than non-latex paint.  She paints 50 benches with latex paint and 50 with non-latex paint.

• Experiment

• Observational Study

Determine whether the situation is an experiment or observational study.

A researcher asks students the average number of hours of sleep they get per night and examines whether the amount of sleep affects students' grades.

• Experiment

• Observational Study

The study described in the following report is a randomized comparative experiment. 

Determine the TREATMENT of the following scenerio:

At Ashland Middle School, fifty randomly chosen students were given milk at lunch every day for a year and fifty other randomly chosen students were given other beverages.  At the end of the year, students in the "milk" group had 15% fewer cavities than students in the other group.

• People who drink Milk

• Other Beverages

• Milk

• People who drink other beverages

The study described in the following report is a randomized comparative experiment. 

Determine the CONTROL GROUP of the following scenerio:

At Ashland Middle School, fifty randomly chosen students were given milk at lunch every day for a year and fifty other randomly chosen students were given other beverages.  At the end of the year, students in the "milk" group had 15% fewer cavities than students in the other group.

• 50 People who drink Milk

• The Entire School

• Everyone else at lunch

• 50 People who drink other beverages

The study described in the following report is a randomized comparative experiment. 

Determine the TREATMENT GROUP of the following scenerio:

At Ashland Middle School, fifty randomly chosen students were given milk at lunch every day for a year and fifty other randomly chosen students were given other beverages.  At the end of the year, students in the "milk" group had 15% fewer cavities than students in the other group.

• 50 People who drink Milk

• The Entire School

• Everyone else at lunch

• 50 People who drink other beverages

Determine whether the research topic is best addressed through an experiment or observational study. 

Does listening to music with Airpods for more than an hour per day affect a person's hearing?

• Experiment

• Observational Study

Determine if a researcher should use a survey, an experiment or an observational study for the following.  

Choose 50 people at random.  Ask which cold medicines they have taken in the past and how effective they were.

• Observational Study

• Survey

• Experiment

Determine if a researcher should use a survey, an experiment or an observational study for the following.  

Monitor 50 people with colds and measure the length of the symptoms for the individuals who choose to take each type of medicine.

• Observational Study

• Survey

• Experiment

Determine if a researcher should use a survey, an experiment or an observational study for the following.  

Randomly divide a group of 50 people with colds into two groups.  Give each group a different medicine and measure the length of the symptoms.

• Observational Study

• Survey

• Experiment