A medical researcher reads an article in "Today's Health-Conscious Woman" magazine about the benefits of using the phytochemical capsaicin to treat knee pain.She asks 10 people with arthritic knees to rub a cream that contains the phytochemical on their knee joints for two weeks.At the end of the two weeks,the researcher asks the subjects whether their knee pain improved,stayed about the same,or worsened during the treatment period.After collecting responses from the people,the researcher reports the results of her study during a popular TV show that is hosted by a doctor.Based on this information,which of the following statements is true?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The researcher did not use a control group in her study, which is a standard scientific design for research involving human subjects. Without a control group, it is difficult to determine whether any improvement in knee pain is actually due to the capsaicin cream or simply the placebo effect. This study is also lacking peer-review and is not a part of any scientific literature.

A Medical Researcher Reads an Article in "Today's Health-Conscious Woman