Why are random assignments important in experiments?

Question

A. They increase the accuracy of the experiment.
B. They eliminate the possibility of a lurking variable affecting the experiment.
C. They increase the cost efficiency of the experiment.
D. They decrease the time it takes to conduct the experiment.

Answer 1

B. They eliminate the possibility of a lurking variable affecting the experiment.

Random assignments help ensure that participants are assigned to different groups in an experiment in a way that minimizes bias and ensures that any differences in outcomes can be attributed to the intervention being studied rather than other variables. This helps to increase the internal validity of the experiment.