A student is trying to find out if people prefer vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream. She buys several containers of regular chocolate ice cream and low fat vanilla ice cream. She hands out small sample of each flavor to the testing group she has gathered and asks them 5 minutes later which one was their favorite. Of the 100 people she tested, 80 said they prefer the chocolate ice cream.
This situation is an example of
A) personal bias
B) experimental bias
C) cultural bias
D) a controlled experiment
experimental bias: the vanilla contained little fat.
The situation described in the question is an example of a controlled experiment.
A controlled experiment involves manipulating or changing one variable while keeping all other variables constant, in order to observe the effects of the manipulated variable on the outcome. In this case, the student manipulated the flavors of ice cream (chocolate and vanilla) while keeping other variables constant (such as the amount of ice cream given to each person, the time given to taste the samples, etc.).
To conduct this experiment, the student bought containers of regular chocolate ice cream and low-fat vanilla ice cream. She then handed out small samples of each flavor to the testing group she had gathered. After giving the participants 5 minutes to taste the samples, she asked them which flavor was their favorite. The results showed that 80 out of the 100 people tested preferred the chocolate ice cream.
By controlling the variables (such as the type of ice cream and the amount given), the student was able to draw conclusions and compare the preferences for vanilla and chocolate ice cream. This allows for a more reliable and valid measurement of people's preferences.