A double-blind study

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A double-blind study is designed to guard against the effects of experimenter expectations by keeping both the participant and the researcher unaware of who is receiving the treatment and who is receiving the placebo. This helps to eliminate bias and increase the reliability of the results. While a placebo may be used in a double-blind study, it is not necessarily required. External validity refers to the degree to which findings can be generalized beyond the study itself, and is not necessarily related to whether a study is double-blind or not. Option B is incorrect because the goal of a double-blind study is not to give patients the treatment they least expect, but rather to remove any expectation bias that may influence the study results.

A Double-Blind Study