Introductory Psychology CLEP Prep Practice Exam

A double-blind study is a type of research design where both the participants and the researchers are unaware of who is receiving the treatment and who is receiving a placebo. This minimizes the influence of bias on the results, as neither the participants nor the researchers have any preconceived notions or expectations about the treatment. Option A is the best choice as it accurately describes the purpose of a double-blind study. Option B is incorrect because while it mentions a controlled setting, it does not mention the need for participants and researchers to be unaware of treatment allocation. This lack of blinding can introduce bias into the results. Option C is incorrect because it only mentions comparing results to a control group, which is an important aspect of any study but it does not address the need for blinding in a double-blind study. Option D is incorrect because while generalizability is an important factor in research, it does