Final answer:
The student's question pertains to the use of independent groups in an experiment, where each subject contributes a single score and where blinding is used to control for experimenter bias.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the concept of experimental design, specifically in the context of using separate, independent groups for each treatment condition within an experiment. When an independent groups design is employed, each participant is typically assigned to only one treatment group and thus contributes only one score to the dataset. To control for experimenter bias, researchers often use blinding within their study. A single-blind study ensures that participants are unaware of which group (experimental or control) they are placed in, while researchers maintain that knowledge.
In an optimal experimental setup, the assignment of subjects to different treatment conditions is done randomly, ensuring that each participant has an equal chance of being in any group. This random assignment helps distribute lurking variables equally among the groups, so the only difference between groups is the treatment imposed by the researcher. The goal is to measure the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable and to establish a cause-and-effect relationship through statistical analysis.