Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Cognitive Performance

Imagine a psychological study examining the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. Researchers recruited 120 participants and randomly assigned them to two groups: a sleep deprivation group that only got 4 hours of sleep per night and a control group that got the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night. After one week, all participants completed a standardized cognitive test that measured attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. The results showed that participants in the sleep deprivation group scored significantly lower on the test compared to the control group.

Using these details, answer the following:

(a) Describe how the research design allows for interpretation of the results.

(b) Discuss the potential confounding variables that the researchers should consider when interpreting the results of this study. Be sure to explain why these variables might impact the results.