AP Classroom- Pasta

You should present a cogent argument based on your critical analysis of the questions posed, using appropriate psychological terminology. It is not enough to answer a question by merely listing facts.

Researchers conducted a study in which 10 participants went to a laboratory around dinner time. The researcher assigned students to one of two groups by flipping a coin. Half of the participants were assigned to a “large bowl” group, and half were assigned to a “small bowl” group. By luck of the draw, 4 men and 1 woman were in the “large bowl” group, and 4 women and 1 man were in the “small bowl” group. Participants were told they could take as much pasta as they wanted from a serving bowl in the middle of the table, which was kept at a nearly full level. Participants were encouraged to go back for as many helpings of pasta as they wanted. In order to determine how much food each participant actually ate, the researchers measured the weight of the food that each participant took, as well as the amount that the participants left in their bowls.

The amount of pasta (in grams) each participant ate is shown in the table below:

Determine the median of the “large bowl” group.

Describe the research technique used to determine the groups.

Explain how the data illustrate differences in variability between the groups.

Explain how a design flaw in this study could be corrected.