A study comparing an inexpensive generic drug sold over the counter with the prescription drug Singulair, found no significant difference in the treatment of hay fever (Mucha et al, 2006). The researchers randomly divided a group of male and female adult hay fever sufferers into two groups, one group receiving daily doses of Singulair while the other group was given the generic drug. After several weeks the groups were compared and no difference was found regarding their hay fever symptoms. This illustrates the
A) quasi-experimental method.
B) post-facto method.
C) cross-sectional method.
D) true experiment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The study described in the question used random assignment of participants to groups and manipulated the independent variable (type of medication), which is a key feature of a true experiment.

A Study Comparing an Inexpensive Generic Drug Sold Over the Counter