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
Eliminate
D) a controlled experiment
B) experimental bias
D) a controlled experiment
D) a controlled experiment
To determine the answer preference between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, the student conducted a controlled experiment. A controlled experiment involves manipulating one variable (the type of ice cream) while keeping all other factors constant. In this case, the student provided small samples of both flavors to a testing group and asked them to choose their favorite after 5 minutes.
A controlled experiment helps eliminate personal bias, as it involves a larger sample size and provides a standardized procedure for all participants. This reduces the influence of personal preferences and ensures that everyone experiences both flavors under the same conditions.
Experimental bias refers to any systematic error in the design or execution of an experiment that results in an inaccurate or misleading conclusion. As long as the experiment was conducted properly, without any major flaws or biases, we can eliminate B) experimental bias.
Cultural bias refers to the tendency to favor certain ideas, values, or practices based on one's cultural background. Since the experiment was not specifically designed to test cultural preferences but rather individual preferences, we can eliminate C) cultural bias.
Therefore, the most accurate answer is D) a controlled experiment.