In an experimental study, researchers are testing a new flea preventive medication on dogs using a blind study. Dogs are treated with the new medication or with a placebo.
Who should know which dogs are given the medication or the placebo for this blind study?
Correct Answer: C
In ablind study, the purpose is to reduce bias that may influence responses or outcomes. In data-driven decision making, a blind study is designed so thatsubjects and response gatherers do not knowwhich treatment is administered, while the researchers do retain this information to correctly manage and analyze the experiment.
In this scenario, dog owners and response gatherers should not know whether the dogs received the medication or a placebo, as this knowledge could influence reporting of outcomes or observations. However, researchers must know which treatment each dog receives to ensure proper administration, monitoring, and statistical analysis.
If neither researchers nor participants knew the assignments, the study would be classified as adouble-blind study, which is not stated here. Allowing owners or response gatherers to know treatment assignments would introduce bias and undermine experimental validity.
Therefore, in a blind study,only the researchersshould know which dogs received the medication or placebo, making optionCthe correct answer.
