Scientists performed an experiment to determine whether there is a connection between learning ability and food. They took two groups of 20 mice each, all from the same purebred strain. The mice were deprived of food for 3 days and then given a standard learning session in running through a maze. They were trained by giving them a mild electric shock whenever they took a wrong turn. Immediately after each learning session, one group of mice was fed, but the other was not, A week later, all of the mice were tested to see whether they could still run the maze correctly. The group that had been fed had retained this ability, but the other group had not. The probable reason that the scientists used only mice from the same pure-bred strain is so that?

Question

Scientists performed an experiment to determine whether there is a connection between learning ability and food. They took two groups of 20 mice each, all from the same purebred strain. The mice were deprived of food for 3 days and then given a standard learning session in running through a maze. They were trained by giving them a mild electric shock whenever they took a wrong turn. Immediately after each learning session, one group of mice was fed, but the other was not, A week later, all of the mice were tested to see whether they could still run the maze correctly. The group that had been fed had retained this ability, but the other group had not. The probable reason that the scientists used only mice from the same pure-bred strain is so that?

Answer 1

This has been answered many times. See the Related Questions below.

Answer 2

You only want to have one variable (which is whether they were fed or not). Using different breeds of mice could introduce another possible uncontrolled difference between the two groups.

Answer 3

The probable reason that the scientists used only mice from the same purebred strain is to minimize genetic variation as a potential factor influencing the results of the experiment. By using mice from the same purebred strain, the scientists can control for genetic differences that may affect learning ability and food-response.

Using mice from the same purebred strain ensures that the mice in both groups are genetically similar. This reduces the likelihood that any observed differences in learning ability and food-response between the two groups are due to genetic variations rather than the experimental conditions.

Controlling for genetic variation is important in scientific experiments because it helps isolate and identify the specific variables that are being studied. In this case, the scientists wanted to investigate the connection between learning ability and food, and by using genetically similar mice, they can focus on the impact of food deprivation on learning without the confounding influence of genetic differences.

In summary, using mice from the same purebred strain allows scientists to control for genetic variation and increases the internal validity of the experiment, enabling them to make more accurate conclusions about the relationship between learning ability and food.