Experimental Design in Sleep Deprivation Study

In a psychological study, researchers conducted an experiment to determine the effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. They randomly assigned participants to two groups: one group was allowed to sleep for eight hours (control group), while the other group was kept awake for 24 hours (experimental group). After the sleep manipulation, both groups completed a series of cognitive tasks measuring attention, memory, and problem-solving abilities.

Based on this information, describe the components of the experimental design used in this study. In your response, be sure to address the following: identify the independent and dependent variables, discuss how random assignment was implemented and its significance to the validity of the results, and explain any potential confounding variables that could affect the study's outcome.