The Effect of Caffeine Intake on Memory of Individuals Aged 18-21 - Assignment Example

The specificity of some aspects was not mentioned in the statement of the independent variable. Although it was mentioned that five cups of coffee were given each to the control group, the type of coffee and kind of mixture were not described. b. What other variables might have the experimenter considered measuring and how might these be used to determine what influences memory? Given that the researcher has selected the same age group as respondents, it is also noteworthy to mention their intelligence quotient.

This stems from the fact that the term memory encompasses a broad scope of intelligence. People in the same age groups can have varying degrees of intelligence, which in turn, affects their performance in short term memory recall. The researcher can also employ other methods of questionnaire instead of limiting the test answers to two options. c. Comment on the conclusion drawn by the experimenter, including discussion of what methodology and significance of results. Due to the lack of details on variables of the study, the conclusion of the researcher has an arguably weak foundation.

Even the employment of the method lacks clarity. In the methodology, the respondents were simply divided into two groups, with the control group drinking five cups of coffee. The respondents’ diet and set of activities prior to the conduct of the study were not mentioned. In addition, the time when the study was conducted was also not given. The kind of film played for the respondents and the kind of questions asked were not specified. These are all important contributing factors in the performance of the respondents on the set of tests given.

The reliability of the result of research depends on how well a researcher has been able to eliminate or lessen the effects of exogenous factors to the study. d. What statistical test(s) could be employed to analyze the data? How would this be affected if the data is not normally distributed?