The Battaglia method is a coffee binging technique1 developed by Dr. Edoardo Battaglia.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Battaglia method can improve academic performance. In a
scientific study to determine the effectiveness of this method, researchers recruit 600 participants
aged 18-32 who are currently enrolled in college studies. These participants are randomly split into
two research groups: one practiced the Battaglia method and the other did not. Participants were
scored based on their GPA. Participants age, year of enrollment and average number of hours spent
studying each week are also collected to account for interaction effects.
(a) Identify the main research question of the study.
(b) Who are the subjects in this study, and how many are included?
(c) What are the variables in the study? Identify each variable as numerical or categorical. If
numerical, state whether the variable is discrete or continuous. If categorical, state whether the
variable is ordinal.
1 Note: don’t try this at home.