You should present a cogent argument based on your critical analysis of the questions posed, using appropriate psychological terminology. It is not enough to answer a question by merely listing facts.


Jennifer is interested in training two of her new puppies to participate in agility competitions. One of the puppies, Sasha, was given a treat each time she more closely approximated the behavior that Jennifer wanted from her. Then she got a treat every third time she completed the entire behavior correctly. The other puppy, Rosie, was exposed to a harsh sound whenever she did the wrong behavior.

In the chart, Jennifer kept track of the number of correctly completed behaviors for each puppy, in order to know which one will be best for competition.
Part A: Apply each of the following concepts to Jennifer’s training of her puppies.

Independent variable
Dependent variable
Confounding variable
Ethical treatment of subjects
Behavioral shaping
Part B: Use the information provided to complete the following statistical procedures.

Calculate the mean correct behaviors for Sasha over the 4 days. Show your work.
Calculate the mode correct behaviors for Rosie over the 4 days.