Which of following best describes the conditions of a double-blind experiment?

When undertaking a clinical trial, the two major models that one can use are the single blind and double blind trials. Selecting the right trial is important since it can affect the outcome of the trial or introduce errors. The ideal model should be selected based on the type of trial and other variables. For any clinical trial, there are usually two groups of people who are experimented on. Members of one group are given a placebo, and the members of another group are given the treatment that is being studied. This is so as to compare the effectiveness of the treatment to placebo.

In a single blind study, the participants in the clinical trial do not know if they are receiving the placebo or the real treatment. This is done to reduce the risk of errors, since some participants might produce spurious results if they know that they are taking the placebo or medication. In this model, the experimenter monitoring the participants knows which individuals received the placebo and which ones got the treatment under examination.

In a double-blind study, both the participants and the experimenters do not know which group got the placebo and which got the experimental treatment. This is considered to be the superior model of clinical research since it eliminates outcomes that are produced due to placebo effect, as well as observer bias by the experimenter. The fact that the experimenter does not know which group received the placebo or the experimental drug means that the risk of conscious and unconscious observer bias is reduced, making the study more accurate.

If participants revealed that they figured out the purpose of the study while it was ongoing, what issue would be most concerning?

    a. Hawthorne effects
    b. Demand characteristics
    c. Participant characteristics
    d. Simple order effects
  • Questions 5 through 12 are based on this following abstract taken from a 2012 issue of Cognition. The authors of the paper examined how scientific knowledge affects naïve scientific theories. Instructors are advised to use the reference below to retrieve the original abstract for their use.Shtulman, A., & Valcarcel, J. (2012). Scientific knowledge suppresses but does not supplant earlier intuitions.Cognition,124(2), 209-215.Assume that this study used a within-subjects design. Imagine that the researchers had half the participants verify one group of statements first, followed by the other group of statements (AB order). The other half of the participants verified the statement groups in reverse order (BA). What were the researchers accounting for?

      a. Order effects in general
      b. Carryover effects only
      c. Simple order effects and carryover effects only
      d. Simple order effects and fatigue effects only
  • The researchers' method of accounting for potential confounding effects is known as

      a. Counterbalancing
      b. Randomization
      c. Latin Square
      d. Latin Order
  • If this study used a matched-group design relative to a within-subjects design…

      a. there would be decreased variability in the data.
      b. order effects would be reduced.
      c. power would increase.
      d. fewer participants would be needed
  • Which one of the following is the dependent variable of this study?

      a. Reaction time
      b. Possibility of statements
      c. Naïve vs. scientific
      d. Years of scientific education
  • Which of the following statements is a valid implication of this study?

      a. Holding naïve theories causes greater accuracy in judging statements whose truth-values were the same across naïve and scientific theories, as compared to statements whose truth-values were different across naïve and scientific theories.
      b. Naïve theories are associated with more correct judgments.
      c. Statements whose truth-values were consistent across naïve and scientific theories are likely to be more easily processed than those that were inconsistent across naïve and scientific theories.
      d. Naïve theories are replaced entirely by scientific theories that invalidate them.
  • Domains of knowledge is likely to be a…

      a. control variable.
      b. within-subjects variable.
      c. dependent variable.
      d. confounding variable.
  • The authors state that their participants “reported having taken an average of 3.1 college-level math and science courses prior to the study (SD = 3.3), but this variable did not predict any of the effects.” In this case, average number of college-level math and science courses is being used in which of the following ways?

      a. College-level math and science courses is a control variable.
      b. College-level math and science courses is factored in as a potential confound.
      c. College-level math and science courses is a dependent variable.
      d. College-level math and science courses were tested to see if they explain any of the effects.
  • Which one of the following scenarios would most challenge the validity of this study?

      a. If the participants were found to hold no naïve theories.
      b. If the participants were found to have done poorly on science and math courses.
      c. If the findings mediate the relationship between how science and math courses affect accuracy of judgment and speed of judgment.
      d. If participants were not randomly assigned to naïve theory vs. scientific theory.
  • Which of the following is a case of a potential confound?

      a. Random deviation of in your measured dependent variable.
      b. Unknown differences in your participants' traits coming into the study.
      c. Systematic differences in your measured dependent variable that are not accounted for.
      d. Systematic differences in your independent variable that are not accounted for .
  • Which describes the results from the Hawthorne effect study?

      a. Performance improved in both experimental conditions.
      b. Performance became worse in both experimental conditions.
      c. Performance became worse only in the condition with the changed lighting.
      d. Performance improved only in the condition with the changed lighting.
  • The _______________ group received the treatment or intervention while the _______________ group received either an inert version of the treatment or no treatment at all.

      a. experimental; control
      b. control; experimental
      c. experimental; quasi-experimental
      d. control; quasi-experimental
  • Which of the following is the definition of a placebo effect?

      a. An effect of treatment that can be attributed to participants' expectations from the treatment rather than any property of the treatment itself.
      b. An effect of treatment that cannot be attributed to participants' expectations from the treatment.
      c. An effect of treatment that can be attributed to any property of the treatment itself.
      d. An effect of treatment that cannot be attributed to any property of the treatment itself.
  • David's experiment involves randomly assigning 120 participants to three separate conditions such that there are 40 participants in each condition. His study is a ____________________ design.

      a. within-subjects, quasi-experimental
      b. between-subjects, quasi-experimental
      c. between-subjects, experimental
      d. within-subjects, experimental
  • A within-subjects design that is able to establish causality does require that…

      a. participants are randomly assigned to conditions.
      b. the conditions be fully manipulated by the researchers.
      c. researchers account for individual differences in the analysis.
      d. each participant is assigned to all possible conditions.
  • In experimental design where conditions are manipulated by the researcher, the variability due to individual differences…

    What best describes a double

    A type of clinical trial in which neither the participants nor the researcher knows which treatment or intervention participants are receiving until the clinical trial is over.

    Which of the following statements is true regarding double

    Which of the following statements is true about a double blind experiment? The experimenter is unaware of whether a placebo or the actual drug is being administered.

    Which of the following is true in a double

    In a double-blind experimental design, which of the following would be true? Neither the researchers and the experimental subjects know whether the latter have been assigned to an experimental group or a control group.

    How does a double

    In a double-blind experiment, neither the subjects nor the researchers know to which group the members belong until the end of the experiment. Studies of individuals. In clinical settings, researchers can observe treatments and their apparent effects.