Ideally, an experiment studying the effect of a cold medicine should have
A) no control group.
B) double-blind procedures.
C) a small sample size.
D) subjects of only one gender.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Double-blind procedures are important in any experiment studying the effects of a cold medicine because they reduce the chances of bias and increase the validity of the results by ensuring that neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the actual medication or a placebo. A control group is also necessary for comparison, and a large enough sample size with a diverse range of participants is important for generalization of the findings. Subjects of both genders should also be included in the study for generalizability, unless there is a specific reason to focus on only one gender. Therefore, the best choice is B, double-blind procedures.

Ideally, an Experiment Studying the Effect of a Cold Medicine