780 men suffering from high blood pressure were randomly assigned to one of two groups.Over a four-month period,the first group received an experimental drug and the second group received a placebo.A larger decrease in diastolic blood pressure was observed for those who received the drug.The experiment was double-blind.Determine the nature and scope of the conclusion the study can reach.
A)Since the technicians administering the treatment could have been biased,no conclusion can be reached.
B)Since the physicians evaluating the results could have been biased,no conclusion can be reached.
C)For men suffering from high blood pressure,the drug appears to lower diastolic blood pressure.
D)Since there is no random assignment,there is no way to know that the drug caused the decrease in diastolic blood pressure; there could have been confounding variables.
E)For adults suffering from high blood pressure,the drug appears to lower diastolic blood pressure.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The study was double-blind, which means neither the technicians administering the treatment nor the physicians evaluating the results knew which group was receiving the drug and which was receiving the placebo. This helps to eliminate the possibility of bias. The study also included random assignment to groups, which helps to control for confounding variables. Therefore, the conclusion can be that the drug appears to lower diastolic blood pressure in men suffering from high blood pressure. Option E is not as accurate as it implies that the drug works for all adults with high blood pressure, when in reality the study only involved men.

780 Men Suffering from High Blood Pressure Were Randomly Assigned