Can pleasant aromas help people work more efficiently?
Researchers conducted an investigation to answer this question. Fifty students worked a paper-and-pencil maze ten times.
On five attempts, the students wore a mask with floral scents. On the other five attempts, they wore a mask with no scent. The 10 trials were performed in random order and each used a different maze. The researchers found that the subjects took less time to complete the maze when wearing the scented mask.
Is this an example of an observational study or a controlled experiment? Explain.