2. Read the following experimental design and answer the following multi-part question.
Use critical thinking to answer these questions in depth.
A researcher is testing a novel drug, DrugX, to see if it is effective in reducing brain
inflammation. He is conducting this research for his friend who works at a pharmacological
company as an independent 3rd party researcher and believes in academic integrity. He uses a
larger team to conduct the study, however he is still involved directly.
He randomly assigns 24 participants to one of three groups: one receiving experimental
DrugX, one receiving a standard treatment DrugY, and one receiving a placebo. Due to
constraints in recruitment, there are twice as many male subjects as there are female subjects
in this study. To mitigate imbalances, the researchers execute a matched-group design for
sex. After the treatment period, the results reveal that the difference in effectivity between
DrugX and the placebo towards reducing brain inflammation is not statistically significant,
however the difference between DrugX and DrugY were. The researchers conclude that
DrugX is an effective drug in treating brain inflammation.
a. Name the independent, dependent, and possible confounding variables in this
study.
b. What is the control group?
c.
Name a limitation of this research design. What would you change to the design
(assume you have unlimited money/resources)?
d. Name any potential biases that may arise with this experiment.
e. Do you agree with their conclusion? Why or why not?