In an experiment to determine the effects of an antidepressant medication, half of the subjects receive the medication and half receive a placebo, which is a harmless sugar pill without any medication effects. The group of people who receive the placebo is the _____ group.
A) random
B) control
C) experimental
D) correlation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The group of people who receive the placebo is referred to as the control group because they are used as a baseline to which the treatment group (who receive the antidepressant medication) is compared. By comparing the outcomes of the two groups, researchers can determine whether the medication had a significant effect or whether any observed changes were due to other factors such as natural recovery or placebo effects. The terms random, experimental, and correlation are not applicable in this context.

In an Experiment to Determine the Effects of an Antidepressant