A researcher is conducting an experiment on the effect of alcohol consumption on reaction time; half of the subjects drink alcoholic drinks, and half drink nonalcoholic versions of the same drinks. The subjects receiving the nonalcoholic drinks are the _____ group and are used in the study to minimize the influence of _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The subjects receiving the nonalcoholic drinks are the control group because they are used as a baseline to compare against the experimental group (those receiving alcoholic drinks). This setup is used to minimize the influence of the placebo effect, where changes in outcomes may occur simply because participants believe they are receiving a treatment.

A Researcher Is Conducting an Experiment on the Effect of Alcohol