A researcher would like to determine if a new form of therapy is more effective than a placebo therapy. The researcher should compare the new therapy to

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Comparing the new therapy to a neutral therapy that just creates expectations of healing (often referred to as a placebo) allows the researcher to isolate the effect of the new therapy itself, distinguishing it from the psychological impact of receiving any form of treatment. This is a standard approach in clinical trials to assess the efficacy of a new treatment.  If the new form of therapy does not produce better outcomes than the placebo therapy, the new therapy has not been shown to be more effective than the placebo effect alone.

A Researcher Would Like to Determine If a New Form