Illustrating a Controlled Experiment- A Comprehensive Example Unveiled
What is an example of a controlled experiment? A controlled experiment is a scientific procedure designed to test a hypothesis by manipulating one variable (the independent variable) while keeping all other variables constant (the control variables). This method allows researchers to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable. One classic example of a controlled experiment is the famous potato plant experiment conducted by Gregor Mendel in the 19th century.
In Mendel’s experiment, he wanted to investigate the patterns of inheritance in plants. He chose the pea plant as his subject because it had a clear set of traits that could be easily observed and measured. Mendel grew two types of pea plants: one with green pods and one with yellow pods. He cross-pollinated these plants to create a new generation of pea plants with mixed pod colors.
During the experiment, Mendel carefully controlled the following variables:
1. The type of pea plant used for cross-pollination (green pods vs. yellow pods).
2. The environment in which the plants were grown (same soil, same amount of sunlight, same temperature).
3. The method of cross-pollination (hand-pollination).
By controlling these variables, Mendel was able to observe the outcome of the experiment and draw conclusions about the patterns of inheritance. He found that the traits of the parent plants were passed on to the offspring in a predictable manner. For example, when he crossed a plant with green pods and a plant with yellow pods, he found that the offspring had green pods. This suggested that the green pod trait was dominant over the yellow pod trait.
Another example of a controlled experiment is the famous Milgram experiment, conducted by Stanley Milgram in the 1960s. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the willingness of people to obey authority figures, even when it meant causing harm to others. In this experiment, participants were led to believe that they were taking part in a study on the effects of punishment on learning. They were instructed to deliver electric shocks to another participant, who was actually an actor, whenever they answered a question incorrectly.
The variables in the Milgram experiment were as follows:
1. The authority figure (the experimenter) instructing the participant to deliver shocks.
2. The level of punishment (the intensity of the electric shocks).
3. The participant’s willingness to obey the authority figure.
By controlling these variables, Milgram was able to determine the extent to which people would obey an authority figure, regardless of the harm caused to the other participant. The experiment revealed that a significant number of participants were willing to deliver shocks at increasingly higher intensities, even when they believed it was causing harm to another person.
In conclusion, a controlled experiment is a scientific method that allows researchers to test hypotheses by manipulating one variable while keeping all other variables constant. The examples of Mendel’s pea plant experiment and the Milgram experiment demonstrate the importance of controlling variables in order to draw accurate conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships.