Investigating Sleep Deprivation and Cognitive Performance

A researcher wants to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. To conduct this study, the researcher recruits 60 college students and randomly assigns them into two groups: one group that will be deprived of sleep for 24 hours and a control group that will have a regular sleep schedule of 8 hours. After the sleep manipulation, both groups will take a standardized cognitive performance test to measure their attention and problem-solving skills.

In your response, describe the experimental design of this study. Include explanations of how the researcher has ensured that the study has internal validity, as well as any potential confounding variables that could affect the results. Additionally, discuss how random assignment contributes to the validity of the experiment.