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Why during medical trials both control and subject group are told they are receiving experimental drug instead both being told they receive placebo?

Dr. Aris Thorne
Dr. Aris Thorne
Senior Science Editor · Jan 20, 2026 · Updated Apr 13, 2026

Telling people you're feeding them sugar pills when in fact they're taking an experimental drug with possibly disastrous side effects is considered unethical, as it will make them more likely to shrug off bleeding from their ears and eyes as "probably just allergies or something." Telling people…

69
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1 min
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#203
of 500 in Psychology

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The Short Answer

Telling people you're feeding them sugar pills when in fact they're taking an experimental drug with possibly disastrous side effects is considered unethical, as it will make them more likely to shrug off bleeding from their ears and eyes as "probably just allergies or something." Telling people you're feeding them an experimental drug when in fact you're just giving them sugar pills is less likely to do any harm.

Analysis

Key Concepts: You're, telling, people

This explanation focuses on you're, telling, people and spans 69 words across 1 sentences. The depth is typical for Psychology questions (category average: 68 words), striking a balance between accessibility and completeness.

What This Answer Covers

This is a focused, single-point answer that gets directly to the core of the question without detours.

How This Compares in Psychology

Ranked #203 of 500 Psychology questions by answer depth (top 41%). This falls in the detailed tier — above average depth. The explanation goes beyond surface-level but keeps things accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a simple explanation for why why during medical trials both control and subject group are told they are receiving experimental drug instead both being told they receive placebo?

Telling people you're feeding them sugar pills when in fact they're taking an experimental drug with possibly disastrous side effects is considered unethical, as it will make them more likely to shrug off bleeding from their ears and eyes as…

How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Psychology questions?

This is an above-average answer at 69 words, ranked #203 of 500 Psychology questions by depth. The key concepts covered are you're, telling, people.

What approach does this answer take to explain why during medical trials both control and subject group are?

The explanation uses direct explanation across 69 words. It is categorized under Psychology and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.