Read “Serotonergic lesions of the periaqueductal gray, a primary source of serotonin to the nucleus paragigantocellularis, facilitate sexual behavior in male rats,” 2011, by Normandin & Murphy and answer the following questions. The questions are divided into sections of where you can find the answers in the reading.
Introduction
(1) What is the relevance of this research? Tip: think about the problems, real and/or theoretical, that this
research could impact. Could it impact human health? Does it expand our understanding of a
particular broad issue?
(2) What is(are) the experimental question(s)? Tip: authors may not always be explicit with their
experimental question or may not have included all experimental questions. So, you may have to figure
it out for yourself!
(3) Describe two critical pieces of background information from the introduction section that a reader
would need in order to understand the question.
(4) What is the hypothesis that is tested in this paper? Tip: authors may not always be explicit with their
hypothesis, may not have included all hypotheses tested, or may be writing “predictions” rather than
hypothesis. So, you may have to figure it out for yourself!
(5) Describe two critical pieces of background information from the introduction section that a reader
would need in order to understand the hypothesis.
Methods
(6) Who/what are the subjects in this experiment?
(7) What are the independent variables in this experiment? Tip: the independent variables are the
variables that the experimenter is manipulating.
(8) What are the dependent variables? Tip: the dependent variables are the variables that the experiment
will measure.
(9) What are the groups in this experiment? Tip: the independent variables inform how the subjects are
divided into groups.
(10) List the procedures conducted in the experiment, in chronological order, with a very brief description of
the purpose of each procedure.
(11) What kind of experimental design was used in this experiment? Tip: think about your groups and
dependent variables together.
Results
(12) Looking at Figure 3E, describe one result in which there was a “statistically significant difference.” Tip:
be sure that the comparison you write is clear, it should be written in terms of groups and the
dependent variable.
(13) How did you know that the above result was “significant?”
(14) Looking at Figure 3E, describe one result in which there was “no difference.” Tip: be sure that the
comparison you write is clear, it should be written in terms of groups and the dependent variable.
(15) How did you know that the above result illustrated “no difference?”
Discussion
(16) Do the results in this paper support the hypothesis, not support the hypothesis, or both?
(17) Describe a result that supports or does not support the hypothesis (do both if you said “both” above).
(18) Describe how one result from this paper relates to the results from other researchers’ work cited in the
discussion section.
(19) Describe one experimental limitation that was noted.
(20) Describe one new question, based on the results of this experiment, that is asked in the discussion
section.
(21) How do these results impact the relevance of this research? Tip: relate the results back to your answer
for Question 1.