Which action would increase the control of an experimental study?
A) Establishing strict criteria for subject selection
B) Allowing participants to decide whether or not to be in the experimental group
C) Ensuring that subjects do not know the purpose of the experimental study
D) Increasing the number of assistants involved in data collection

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Establishing strict criteria for subject selection helps to ensure that the subjects in the study are representative of the population being studied and that any differences observed between the experimental and control groups can be attributed to the treatment being studied, rather than to differences in the characteristics of the subjects. By carefully selecting subjects based on specific criteria, the study can have more control over potential confounding variables that could influence the outcome. Allowing participants to decide whether or not to be in the experimental group (B) could introduce selection bias and compromise the control of the study. Ensuring that subjects do not know the purpose of the experimental study (C) is a common practice to prevent the placebo effect but does not necessarily increase control. Increasing the number of assistants involved in data collection (D) can help with data collection but does not directly address the issue of control in the study.

Which Action Would Increase the Control of an Experimental Study