Advantage of Random Assignment in Research

Psychology researchers must carefully choose their research methods to answer specific questions accurately. One crucial factor when designing a study is how participants are selected and assigned to groups. In experimental research, two common methods used for assigning participants to different groups include random assignment and matched sampling. Random assignment ensures that each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any group, which helps in minimizing biases. On the other hand, matched sampling involves pairing participants based on certain characteristics before assigning them to different groups.

Given the descriptions of these methods, which of the following statements best illustrates the main advantage of using random assignment over matched sampling in experimental research?