What is the purpose of random assignment in experiments?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks about the purpose of random assignment in experiments. 
First, note that the provided data for this item includes no answer options to evaluate, so we cannot comment on each alternative in the usual way. Instead, we can explain the underlying concept and how it serves experimental aims.
Random assignment is used to allocate participants to experimental groups by chance, with the goal of creating equivalent groups at the start of the study. By distributing individual differences (such as age, gender, baseline abilities, or other characteristics) roughly equally across groups, randomization reduces systematic differences that could confound the effect of the manipulated treatment.
This approach helps to increase internal validity, making it more likely that observed differences in outcomes are attributable to the experimental manipulation rather than preexisting differences between groups.
If there were options that claimed random assignment eliminates all bias, or that it only affects some types of bias, those would be misleading. Random assignment addresses selection bias and related confounds but does not automatically control for all forms of bias (e.g., measurement error, attrition bias, or placebo effects) without additional design or procedural safeguards.
The answer provided with the item states that random assignment "eliminates bias by evenly distributing personal characteristics across experimental groups." This aligns with the core purpose of randomization in balancing participant characteristics across groups, thereby mitigating preexisting differences that could influence outcomes.
In summary, the central rationale for random assignment is to level the playing field across groups so that any observed treatment effects are more confidently attributed to the intervention itself, rather than to preexisting disparities among participants.

2025SpringDYN-T-MKT561-24974 Week 4 Quiz (Experiments)

What is the purpose of random assignment in experiments?

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