A double-blind experiment is a scientific experiment usually used to test new medical treatments. Both the doctors and the participants are "blind" to certain aspects of the experiment: They do not know who receives which treatment. The people who take part in the experiment are divided into two groups: (1) An experimental group, in which participants get the new treatment, and (2) a control group. People in the control group either get the old treatment or sugar pills instead of medicine. This type of experiment ensures that when researchers test new medicines, these tests are as objective as possible.
Read this paragraph and answer the question below.
Creating Conditions for Objective Testing
A recent double-blind study tested the effects of a new treatment for people who suffer from migraine headaches. Fifty people who suffer from migraine headaches were chosen to participate in the study. These participants were divided into two groups. One group, the experimental group, was given the new treatment. The other group, the control group, was given sugar pills, called placebos. Neither the doctors nor the participants knew who received the new treatment and who received the sugar pills.
Why should medical researchers do double-blind experiments to prove that new treatments are better than other treatments? Choose ONE correct answer.
