Group 6 — Experiments

experiment

research method that manipulates a variable to test cause and effect

experimental group

group that receives the treatment being tested

control group

comparison group that does not receive the experimental treatment

random assignment

placing participants into groups by chance

double-blind procedure

neither participants nor the relevant researchers know who received the treatment/placebo

placebo effect

change caused by expectations rather than the actual treatment

independent variable (IV)

variable the researcher manipulates

confounding variable

outside factor that could provide another explanation for the results

dependent variable (DV)

variable the researcher measures