Dr. Vance conducted an experiment at a canine cognitive center to investigate how different schedules of operant reinforcement affect learning rate. He obtained full ethical approval from the university's animal welfare board before commencing. Using a random sampling method, dogs were allocated to either Group 1, which received a food reward on a fixed-ratio schedule (a reward after every 4th target touch), or Group 2, which received a food reward on a variable-ratio schedule (where the number of touches required fluctuated around a mean of 4). Dr. Vance recorded the total number of times each dog touched the target with its nose during a single 12-minute session.
Identify the independent variable (IV) and the dependent variable (DV) in this study.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Content with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 1,059 questions covering Central nervous system and neurotransmitters, Effect of recreational drugs on transmission, Brain structure and aggression, Evolution and natural selection, Freud's psychodynamic explanation of aggression, Role of hormones in aggression, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
