Random assignment means that …
A) the same participants are used in all of the conditions of an experiment
B) everyone who participates in an experiment has an equal chance to be assigned to any of its conditions
C) participants are allowed to select whether they will be in the experimental or control group
D) none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Random assignment means that participants are given an equal chance to be assigned to any condition of the experiment. This helps to ensure that any differences in the groups are not due to pre-existing differences between the participants, but rather due to the manipulation of the independent variable. Option A is incorrect as using the same participants in all conditions would not allow for any comparison between groups. Option C is incorrect as allowing participants to select their group introduces self-selection bias.

Random Assignment Means That …