A psychologist thinks that meditation might be a useful tool for patients trying to lose weight They design an experiment and recruit volunteers who are all interested I in losing weight. Half of the subjects (determined at random) will attend weekly guided meditation sessions and receive access to a diet and exercise program. The other half of the subjects will just have access to the diet and exercise program. What is the primary purpose of including a group who doesn't attend meditation sessions? Choose 1 answer: A To ensure subjects are blind as to which treatment group they are in B To utilize a randomized blocked design C To serve as a control group for comparison D To form a matched pair with the group that attends meditation sessions E To reduce the impact of the placebo effect

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A psychologist thinks that meditation might be a useful tool for patients trying to lose weight They design an experiment and recruit volunteers who are all interested I in losing weight. Half of the subjects (determined at random) will attend weekly guided meditation sessions and receive access to a diet and exercise program. The other half of the subjects will just have access to the diet and exercise program. What is the primary purpose of including a group who doesn't attend meditation sessions? Choose 1 answer: A To ensure subjects are blind as to which treatment group they are in B To utilize a randomized blocked design C To serve as a control group for comparison D To form a matched pair with the group that attends meditation sessions E To reduce the impact of the placebo effect

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The correct answer is C.**Explanation:**The group that does not attend meditation sessions serves as a **control group**. This group allows the researchers to compare the weight loss results of those who meditate with those who don't, isolating the impact of meditation. If the meditation group shows significantly more weight loss, it suggests that meditation, in addition to the diet and exercise program, is contributing to the weight loss.The other options are incorrect for the following reasons:* **A:** Blinding is about participants not knowing which group they're in. This experiment doesn't necessarily require blinding, and the control group's presence doesn't ensure it.* **B:** A randomized block design involves grouping participants based on a shared characteristic before random assignment to treatment groups. This scenario doesn't describe that.* **D:** Matched pairs involve pairing individuals based on similar characteristics and then assigning one to each group. This isn't described in the scenario.* **E:** While a control group can help assess the placebo effect, its primary purpose is to provide a baseline for comparison, not specifically to *reduce* the placebo effect. The placebo effect would be present in *both* groups if they believe the diet and exercise program will help them lose weight. The control group helps determine if meditation adds any benefit *beyond* the placebo effect of the program.

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