Placebo control groups and double-blind procedures are typically used to control for

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Placebo control groups are used to control for demand characteristics and experimenter effects, which are potential sources of bias in experimental research. A placebo control group is a group of participants who are given a treatment that looks and tastes like the experimental treatment but does not contain the active ingredient. This group allows researchers to determine if any observed effects are due to the actual treatment or simply to the placebo effect (i.e., the tendency for people to feel better when they perceive they have been given a treatment).

Double-blind procedures are used to control for both demand characteristics and experimenter effects. In a double-blind study, neither the participants nor the researchers who interact with them know which group participants have been assigned to (i.e., the experimental group or the placebo control group). This eliminates the possibility that participants' expectations or the researchers' behavior could influence the results.

Placebo Control Groups and Double-Blind Procedures Are Typically Used to Control