Dr. Andre Fenton, a neuroscientist at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, believed long-term memory (LTM) could be created by shocking a mouse. He created a place avoidance task to test his hypothesis. Mice were shocked when they entered the “shock zone”, a very specific area of the platform, to induce learning and in effect create a LTM. The movement of mice was documented clearly illustrating avoidance of the shock zone. To stop mice from remembering the shock zone by smell and sight, they would rotate the platform, but keep the shock zone in the same location. Once mice had ‘learned’ the location of the shock zone, the shock was turned off and the mice continued to avoid the shock zone.

Question

Dr. Andre Fenton, a neuroscientist at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, believed long-term memory (LTM) could be created by shocking a mouse. He created a place avoidance task to test his hypothesis. Mice were shocked when they entered the “shock zone”, a very specific area of the platform, to induce learning and in effect create a LTM. The movement of mice was documented clearly illustrating avoidance of the shock zone. To stop mice from remembering the shock zone by smell and sight, they would rotate the platform, but keep the shock zone in the same location. Once mice had ‘learned’ the location of the shock zone, the shock was turned off and the mice continued to avoid the shock zone.

What are the independent and dependent variables, as well as the control and experimental groups?

Answer 1

In this experiment, the independent variable is the presence or absence of shock when the mice enter the "shock zone". The researcher deliberately manipulates this variable to determine its effect on the mice's behavior and memory.

The dependent variable, on the other hand, is the movement of the mice and their ability to avoid the shock zone. It is the behavior that is being observed and measured in response to the independent variable.

The control group in this experiment would be a group of mice that are not exposed to the shock in the "shock zone". They serve as a baseline for comparison to determine the normal behavior of the mice.

The experimental group would be the group of mice that receive the shock when they enter the "shock zone". This group is exposed to the independent variable (shock) and its effects on the mice's behavior and memory are observed.

It is important to note that the experiment described does not mention any specific manipulations or comparisons within the groups, so it is possible that additional controls or variables were not mentioned in this description.