FRQ: Treating Cat Allergies
It is estimated that nearly 30% of individuals exhibit some kind of allergic reaction to cats, exhibiting symptoms such as nasal discharge, sneezing, and watery eyes. Physicians are able to successfully decrease allergic reactions through immunotherapy, however they have been uncertain as to the exact biological mechanisms responsible for this decrease in symptoms. Orengo, et.al. hypothesized that a specific antibody traditionally included in the immunotherapy shots was responsible for the decrease in symptoms. In order to test this, they randomly assigned participants to two conditions. One group received an injection of the specific hypothesized antibody. The second group received a placebo injection. Participants provided a self-report of the percentage of nasal discharge over a 90 day period. They found that while both groups displayed a decrease in nasal discharge, those that received the specific antibody injections showed an even greater decrease compared to those that received the placebo.
Orengo, J.M., Radin, A.R., Kamat, V. et al. Treating cat allergy with monoclonal IgG antibodies that bind allergen and prevent IgE engagement. Nature Communications 9, 1421 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03636-8
Question 1
Identify the independent variable.
Question 2
Identify the operational definition of the dependent variable.
Question 3
Identify the control group.
Question 4
Identify the experimental group.
Question 5
Explain why random assignment is necessary in the context of this study.
Question 6
Explain how a double blind study could be utilized to increase the study’s validity.
Question 7
Explain how the placebo effect may have impacted their study.
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