In an experiment, the standard that is used for comparison is called what?

• A. Control
• B. An educated guess
• C. Symptoms
• D. Disease agent

Answer: (A)

In experiments, a baseline for comparison is provided by the control. The control group is treated the same as the experimental group in every way except for the factor being tested, so any differences in outcomes can be attributed to that factor. This helps rule out other variables and account for natural variation or placebo effects. The other terms describe what you might form or observe in different contexts (an educated guess is a hypothesis; symptoms are signs of illness; a disease agent is a cause), but they don’t serve as the baseline for comparison in an experimental test.