Experimental Design, Scientific Method, and Lab Requirements

Independent Variable (IV): The variable directly controlled and manipulated by the researcher to test its effects.
- Examples: Color of a drink, or the alcoholic content level of a drink.
- Axis Placement: Plotted along the horizontal x-axis on standard experimental graphs.
Dependent Variable (DV) / Dependent Measure: The data collected or response measured to assess the outcome of manipulating the independent variable.
- Behavioral Quantification Requirement: Requires a specific metric to measure behavior accurately.
- Examples: Preference metrics, total number of drinks chosen, or percent preference.
Observational Study Design:
- Involves observing and quantifying naturally occurring behavior without direct experimental manipulation.
- Example: Counting the number of rum and Coke drinks stolen to evaluate if rum and Coke is the preferred drink.
- Graphical Display: Represented using a histogram illustrating the total count for each drink category.
Experimental Graphing Conventions:
- Horizontal Axis (x-axis): Holds the independent variable (e.g., alcohol content percentage ranging from $0$ to $10$ ).
- Vertical Axis (y-axis): Holds the dependent variable / measured response (e.g., number of drinks stolen, consumed, or selected at that specific level).
- Trial Setup Example: Providing drinks across all available types in a single trial for each monkey and counting how many monkeys select each individual drink type and alcohol level.

Replicates: The inclusion of multiple individual subjects across a population rather than relying on a single subject observation.
- Primary Benefits:
- Allows researchers to assess population-level trends rather than isolated individual quirks.
- Reveals individual variation (e.g., identifying that different individuals prefer different drink options).
- Enables calculation of summary statistics, such as determining average preference for alcohol levels.
- Substantially increases the power of inference.
- Specific Example: Testing only Charlie, a single vervet monkey, yields no valid conclusions regarding the broader vervet monkey population because Charlie's personal preferences do not inherently reflect the group.
Sample Size: The total number of individual subjects contained within the tested pool.
- Effect on Inference: Increasing sample size directly enhances statistical inference and data reliability.
Laboratory Constraints:
- Because lab sessions are restricted to a couple of hours, performing extensive replicates within a single period is limited.
- Experimental protocols address this by repeating tests multiple times (e.g., running $3$ trials as time allows) to establish reliable data collection.

Control Group: A baseline group in an experiment that does not receive the experimental treatment or factor being tested.
- Purpose: Establishes a baseline comparison point to determine if observed effects are directly caused by the manipulated factor.
- Drink Framework Example: Non-alcoholic beverages or alternative drink types that lack the specific ingredient being tested.
- Medical Framework Example:
- Control subjects receive a placebo or sugar pill containing no active medication.
- Measures whether un-medicated subjects recover at a lower rate compared to subjects receiving the active drug.
Treatment Groups and Treatment Levels:
- Treatment Groups: Experimental groups exposed to specific manipulations of the independent variable.
- Treatment Levels: The specific amounts, dosages, or variations applied across treatment groups.
- Drink Framework Examples: Different categories of drinks, varying percentages of alcohol content, or different flavor profiles.
- Medical Framework Examples: Multiple distinct dosage levels applied across treatment groups, contrasted against the zero-dosage control group.

Sequential Steps of the Scientific Method:
1. Background Information / Observations: Gathering context or baseline facts.
2. Research Question: Formulating a focused research question.
3. Experimental Design: Developing an experimental setup to answer the question.
4. Data Collection / Results: Gathering empirical data and plotting graph metrics.
5. Analysis: Interpreting compiled data and drawing conclusions.
Lab Notebook Integration:
- Lab notebooks mirror the scientific method process, beginning with background information and context before progressing to the practical laboratory activity.
Distinction Between Hypothesis and Prediction:
- Hypothesis: A broad, overarching statement describing how a phenomenon functions in the world, derived from initial observations.
- Example: "Vervet monkeys prefer alcoholic drinks."
- Prediction: A narrow, specific statement directly tied to the design of the specific experiment, typically framed as an "If… then…" conditional statement.
- Example: "If vervet monkeys prefer alcoholic drinks, then a higher percentage will choose alcoholic drinks than nonalcoholic drinks."
Core Session Topics:
- The introductory session centers on two primary components: lab safety guidelines (reviewed via video) and foundational scientific method terminology.

Assessment Structures and Points:
- Lab Notebooks: Awarded points for properly documenting background information, procedures, and experimental data.
- Exit Tickets / End-of-Lab Assessments:
- Brief quizzes or single questions administered at the conclusion of lab sessions.
- Focus primarily on experimental procedures to ensure students execute labs carefully, intentionally, and gain required knowledge.
- Lab Practical Exams:
- Hands-on practical exams structured with distinct stations around the laboratory.
- Require students to demonstrate specific technical skills or explain practical lab concepts as outlined in the weekly syllabus.
Required Student Materials for Upcoming Class:
- Lab Manual: Required for reading course guidelines, background context, and procedural instructions prior to class.
- Lab Notebook: A physical notebook dedicated to lab coursework (a student exemplar notebook was shown in class, though online posting on D2L remains pending permission).

Quiz Location: Located in the "Quizzes" section on D2L.
Mandatory Requirement: Must be successfully completed prior to performing any physical lab activities or receiving credit for lab work.
Attempt Rules and Mechanics:
- Students are permitted up to $3$ attempts.
- D2L functionality re-displays missed questions on subsequent attempts to facilitate completion.
Passing Criteria:
- Students must achieve a score strictly above $80\%$ (with a target of $100\%$ ).
- Scoring above $80\%$ is an absolute legalistic requirement for participating in lab work.
- If $3$ attempts are used or accidentally submitted without reaching the $80\%$ threshold, the instructor must be contacted to manually reopen the quiz.
Immediate Timeframe: $1$ hour remains in the current lab block, allowing students to complete the quiz immediately on a mobile phone, laptop, or computer.