Final answer:
The experimental group is exposed to the treatment or experimental manipulation, while the control group is not, allowing researchers to attribute any differences in outcomes to the treatment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between an experimental group and a control group is that the experimental group experiences the test, specifically the experimental manipulation, while the control group does not. In ideal experimental design, the experimental manipulation is the only difference between these groups, ensuring that any subsequent differences in the results are due to the treatment being tested rather than chance or other variables.
To give an example, in a study testing a new drug, the experimental group would receive the actual drug, whereas the control group might receive a placebo. This setup allows researchers to directly compare the effects of the independent variable (the drug) by measuring the changes in the dependent variable(s) for both groups.
Another critical aspect of experimental design is random assignment, which helps mitigate the potential influence of confounding variables. This way, researchers can more confidently attribute differences in outcomes to the experimental manipulation rather than to pre-existing differences between the groups.