Question

Wasp Hierarchical Status. In an issue of Discover (Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 10-11), J. Netting described the research of E. Tibbetts of the University of Arizona in the article, "The Kind of Face Only a Wasp Could Trust." Tibbetts found that wasps signal their strength and status with the number of black splotches on their yellow faces, with more splotches denoting higher status. Tibbetts decided to see if she could cheat the system. She painted some of the insects ' faces to make their status appear higher or lower than it really was. She then placed the painted wasps with a group of female wasps to see if painting the faces altered their hierarchical status. Was this investigation an observational study or a designed experiment? Justify your answer.

Short answer

The given study is a designed experiment.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1. Given information.

The given statement says that Tibbetts painted the faces of some of the insects to make their social position appear better or lower than it was.

She then paired the painted wasps with a group of female wasps to test if painting their faces changed their hierarchy.

Step 2. Classify the given study as either an observational study or a designed experiment.

We can observe from the given study that the researcher has performed an experiment in this study.

At first, the researcher found that the number of black splotches on wasps' yellow faces indicates their power and status, with more splotches indicating higher status.

After that, she decided to test the system and see if she could get away with it. She used paint to alter the appearance of some of the insects' faces, making their status appear better or worse than it was.

She paired the painted wasps with a group of female wasps to test if painting their faces could change their hierarchy.

Therefore, it is a designed experiment.