Double-blind studies control for ________.
A) only the placebo effect
B) only the experimenter effect
C) both the placebo effect and the experimenter effect
D) extrinsic motivation

Question

Double-blind studies control for ________.
A) only the placebo effect
B) only the experimenter effect 
C) both the placebo effect and the experimenter effect 
D) extrinsic motivation

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Double-blind studies control for both the placebo effect and the experimenter effect. The placebo effect is the tendency for people to show improvement or change in response to any treatment, even if that treatment has no real effect on the condition. The experimenter effect occurs when the researcher's own expectations or biases unintentionally influence the results of the study. By conducting a double-blind study, both the participants and the researchers are unaware of who is receiving the treatment or the placebo, which helps to control for these outside influences. Extrinsic motivation is not directly related to the purpose of double-blind studies, so it is not a correct answer.

Double-Blind Studies Control for ________