A college professor testing two different study-skill interventions tosses a coin to decide which type of training each student will get. The professor does this to
A) make it more likely that participants will be representative of the broader population.
B) make statistical analyses easier by guaranteeing the same number of participants in each group.
C) make it less likely that there will be pre-existing differences between the groups.
D) avoid the confound of participants knowing other people in their group.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

By randomly assigning students to the two different study-skill interventions via a coin toss, the college professor makes it less likely that there will be pre-existing differences between the groups. This is important for the validity of any conclusions drawn from the study, as it reduces the likelihood that any measured differences between the two groups are due to pre-existing differences rather than the study interventions themselves.

A College Professor Testing Two Different Study-Skill Interventions Tosses a Coin