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Evaluate the researcher's proposed control group treatment. Based on the definition and purpose of a placebo, diagnose the flaw in this design and justify what the researcher must change to make it an effective placebo.
Case context: A researcher is conducting a drug trial to test a new medication for anxiety. The experimental group receives a blue, bitter-tasting pill that must be taken twice a day with food. For the control group, the researcher considers providing a white, tasteless pill taken once a day.
Question: Evaluate the researcher's proposed control group treatment. Based on the definition and purpose of a placebo, diagnose the flaw in this design and justify what the researcher must change to make it an effective placebo.
Sample answer: The researcher's proposed design is flawed because the control pill does not mimic the appearance or experience of the active treatment. A proper placebo must lack the active ingredient but otherwise be identical to the experimental condition. To make it an effective placebo, the researcher must change the control pill to be a blue, bitter-tasting pill administered twice a day with food, just like the actual medication.
Key points:
- The proposed control treatment is flawed because it does not mimic the appearance or experience of the actual treatment.
- Placebos must lack the active ingredient but still simulate the treatment.
- The placebo pill needs to be blue and bitter-tasting, matching the experimental drug.
- The placebo must also be administered on the exact same schedule (twice a day with food).
Rubric: The student should correctly identify that the proposed white, tasteless pill fails to simulate the actual treatment's experience. Full credit requires justifying that the placebo must be identical in appearance (blue), taste (bitter), and regimen (twice daily with food) while lacking the active ingredient.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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