A psychopathologist wishes to compare the prevalence of suicidal ideation among a sample of people with major depressive disorder to the prevalence of such ideation among a sample of those without the disorder. It is critical that the two groups be as similar as possible with regard to factors unrelated to the research question. This concern is BEST addressed using a ______.

Question

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A match subjects design involves matching participants in the two groups based on variables that may be related to the research question, which can increase the internal validity of the study by reducing potential confounding variables. This is the best option for ensuring similarity between the two groups in this scenario. Double-blind studies and randomized control trials are experimental designs that are not applicable to this scenario, and a longitudinal study is not necessary as the prevalence of suicidal ideation is being compared at a single point in time.

A Psychopathologist Wishes to Compare the Prevalence of Suicidal Ideation