Experimental Design and Sleep Deprivation Study

In a recent study, researchers wanted to investigate the effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. They designed an experiment where participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one group was allowed to sleep for 8 hours, while the other group was kept awake for 24 hours. After the sleep manipulation, both groups were given the same cognitive performance test to assess their reaction times and problem-solving abilities.

Based on this scenario, describe the essential elements of the experimental design used in this study, including the independent and dependent variables, the experimental and control groups, and the role of random assignment.