Zoe conducted an observational study. This means she observed the natural behavior of the students and did not manipulate any variables.
Type of study:
Zoe conducted an observational study. This means she observed the natural behavior of the students and did not manipulate any variables.
Independent and dependent variables:
The independent variable is the presence of the mascot. This is the variable that Zoe manipulated (changed). The dependent variable is the average school spirit score. This is the variable that Zoe measured.
Possible confounding variables:
There are several possible confounding variables in this study. These are variables that could have affected the results of the study, but were not controlled for. Some possible confounding variables include:
* The weather
* The opponent
* The importance of the game
* The time of day
* Other events happening at the same time
Conclusions:
Based on the data, it appears that students had higher average school spirit scores at rallies where the mascot was present. However, it is important to note that this is just an observational study and we cannot say for sure that the presence of the mascot caused the increase in school spirit. It is possible that another variable, such as one of the confounding variables listed above, was actually responsible for the difference in scores.
Further research is needed to determine if the presence of the mascot has a causal impact on school spirit. This research could involve conducting a controlled experiment, in which the presence of the mascot is the only variable that is manipulated.
Overall, Zoe's study provides some evidence that the presence of a mascot may increase school spirit. However, more research is needed to confirm this finding.