Question

A researcher designs a study to determine whether female preschoolers prefer sweetened or unsweetened cereal. The researcher first presents the children with the sweet cereal and measures how much they ate. Later, during the same session, the researcher presents the children with the unsweetened cereal and measures how much they ate. The research finds that the group of preschoolers ate more of the sweetened cereal and therefore prefers the sweetened cereal. Is this conclusion justified?

Answer 1

No, the conclusion is not justified.

Step-by-step explanation:

The researcher has designed a study to determine whether female preschoolers prefer sweetened or unsweetened cereal.

First case: The children are being provided with the sweetened cereal by the researcher to measure the amount they ate.

Second case: The children are being provided with the unsweetened cereal by the researcher to measure the amount they ate, in the same session.

He concluded based on the above research observation that the preschooler's group ate sweetened cereal more as compared to unsweetened cereals and therefore, they would prefer the sweetened cereal.

Hence, the given conclusion is not justified because time-related variables could threaten the results.