Design an Experiment That Shows the Effectiveness of a Drug for Hyperactivity

Design an Experiment That Shows the Effectiveness of a Drug for Hyperactivity

  • Submitted By: llowy77
  • Date Submitted: 12/18/2008 7:58 PM
  • Category: Psychology
  • Words: 343
  • Page: 2
  • Views: 5

To determine whether a drug that is supposed to reduce hyperactivity actually works or not, an experiment should be performed to test its efficiency. When performing such an experiment, all variables must be taken into consideration.
First, one must gather a sampling. The sampling should be taken from children who suffer from hyperactivity. One hundred children should be studied, and the children should be selected at random. The random selection ensures that all sectors of the population are properly represented.
To prevent any illusory correlations, I would make this a double-blind experiment, where neither the study participants, nor the doctors who administer the drug have any idea which pill is being given. In my experiment, the independent variable would be the pill that claims to reduce hyperactivity, and my dependent variable would be the occurrence of hyperactivity. The occurrence or lack of occurrence of hyperactivity is dependent on whether or not the pill works.
All experiments need a control, and in this case in particular, a sugar pill proves as a good choice. If the patients are given a sugar pill that looks identical to the actual drug, they will have no idea which they are taken, and therefore the concern of the placebo effect can be eliminated.
After gathering a random sample of one hundred children, I will go on to test them six different times. I will alternate every testing with the sugar pill and the actual drug. Their behavior will be recorded, and a number on a scale of one to one hundred will indicate their hyperactivity level. In the end, the numbers for the times that the sugar pill was administered will be compared with the times that the actual drug was administered, and we will be able to properly determine whether the drug had an effect on the hyperactivity of the children.
Overall, this experiment will determine the efficiency of the newly developed drug. By performing this experiment as described, I will be able to...

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