A group of 11 micewas given water, and another group of 10 mice was supplied withdiluted black coffee (coffee:water 1:1) as drinking fluids for fiveweeks. The composition of the diets and living conditions weresimilar for both groups of mice. Blood glucose was monitored weeklyfor all mice. After five weeks, there was no change in average bodyweight between groups. Results indicated that blood glucoseconcentrations increased significantly in the mice that drank watercompared with those that were supplied with coffee. Finally, bloodglucose concentration in the coffee group exhibited a 30 percentdecrease compared with that in the water group.
(In the originalpaper*, the investigators acknowledged that the coffee for theexperiment was supplied as a gift from a corporation.)
Answer the followingquestions:
1. What was thehypothesis of this experiment? (Reminder: Hypothesis is astatement.) What question(s) was (were) the investigatorasking?
2. Which is thecontrol group? Why?
3. Which is thetreatment group? Why?
4. Did theresearchers follow the scientific method in their experimentaldesign? Explain.
5. Do you think thatthere may be any possible biases or other problems in thisexperiment? Explain.
6. Based on thedata, was the hypothesis supported, and what can you conclude fromthis experiment?
A group of 11 micewas given water, and another group of 10 mice was supplied withdiluted black coffee (coffee:water 1:1) as drinking fluids for fiveweeks. The composition of the diets and living conditions weresimilar for both groups of mice. Blood glucose was monitored weeklyfor all mice. After five weeks, there was no change in average bodyweight between groups. Results indicated that blood glucoseconcentrations increased significantly in the mice that drank watercompared with those that were supplied with coffee. Finally, bloodglucose concentration in the coffee group exhibited a 30 percentdecrease compared with that in the water group.
(In the originalpaper*, the investigators acknowledged that the coffee for theexperiment was supplied as a gift from a corporation.)
Answer the followingquestions:
1. What was thehypothesis of this experiment? (Reminder: Hypothesis is astatement.) What question(s) was (were) the investigatorasking?
2. Which is thecontrol group? Why?
3. Which is thetreatment group? Why?
4. Did theresearchers follow the scientific method in their experimentaldesign? Explain.
5. Do you think thatthere may be any possible biases or other problems in thisexperiment? Explain.
6. Based on thedata, was the hypothesis supported, and what can you conclude fromthis experiment?
