At 5:43 PM -0400 8/11/99, Rick Adams wrote:
>Jim wrote:
>
>> Wouldn't this only be true of DRUG studies? Presumably doctors
>> performing operations know which one they are doing? I don't
>> think the problem of double-blind studies for many treatments is
>> unique to psychology.
>
> Two points:
>
> 1. The original comparison _was_ to drug studies. Thus for a
>psychological study to be directly applicable, it would have to meet the
>same standards.
>
> 2. There _are_ no true double blind surgical studies. A different
>experimental protocol is in use for non-drug related studies in medicine.
There is also some question as to whether there are really any perfectly
double blind drug studies, since subjects can often discriminate placebo
from drug based on the side effects of drugs (even pigeons can be taught to
do this).
* PAUL K. BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
* Psychology Department 507-389-6217 *
* "The University formerly known as Mankato State" *
* http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html *
