The eighteenth-century scientific committee studying mesmerism that was headed by Benjamin Franklin used an early form of which control procedure?
A) Wait-list control group
B) Randomized trials
C) Yoked control group
D) Placebo control

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best choice is D, placebo control, as mesmerism was considered a pseudoscientific practice and the scientific committee headed by Franklin aimed to test its effects compared to a control group. The committee used placebo control by having some participants undergo a placebo treatment that simulated the effects of mesmerism, while others received the actual mesmerism treatment. A randomized trial design was not explicitly mentioned in the question, and a wait-list control group and yoked control group are not relevant to the study of mesmerism.

The Eighteenth-Century Scientific Committee Studying Mesmerism That Was Headed by Benjamin