Final answer:
The number of individuals examined in an experiment is called the sample, which represents a subset of the larger population and is used to make inferences about the overall group.
Step-by-step explanation:
The number of individuals examined in an experiment is called the sample. For example, if a psychologist wants to understand how tableware size affects food intake among college students, they may select a sample of 100 college students to participate in the study out of the entire population of college students. This sample will undergo an experiment where they are divided into groups and given different treatments. One group might use normal-sized tableware while the other uses tableware that is 20% smaller.
The goal is to measure the response variable, which is the amount of food eaten by each group. The explanatory variable here is the size of the tableware, which is manipulated to observe its effect on the response variable. By examining a representative sample, researchers can make inferences about the larger population, assuming the sample is randomized and free from bias.