Twelve people,who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome,volunteer to take part in an experiment to see if shark fin extract will increase one's energy level.Eight of the volunteers are men and four are women.Half of the volunteers are to be given shark fin extract twice a day and the other half a placebo twice a day.We wish to make sure that four men and two women are assigned to each of the treatments,so we decide to use a block design with the men forming one block and the women the other.Suppose one of the researchers is responsible for measuring if a subject displays an increase in energy level.What design principle should be added to this experiment?

A) Use two placebos.
B) Use a stratified sampling design to assign subjects to treatments.
C) Use fewer subjects but observe them more frequently.
D) Conduct the study as a double-blind experiment.

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Gabby Mayhew · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : D, Explanation :  Conducting the study as a double-blind experiment is the best choice to avoid biased results. Since the researcher measuring the energy levels will be aware of which subjects are receiving the shark fin extract and which are receiving the placebo, this knowledge could potentially influence their measurements. By conducting the study as a double-blind experiment, neither the researcher nor the subjects will know which treatment they are receiving, reducing the likelihood of bias. Using two placebos, using a stratified sampling design, or observing subjects more frequently would not address the issue of potential bias in the measurements.

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