Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania suggest that a nasal spray derived from pheromones (chemicals emitted by animals when they are trying to attract a mate) may be beneficial in relieving symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) (Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2003).
a. Describe how you might design an experiment using 100 female volunteers who suffer from PMS to determine whether the nasal spray reduces PMS symptoms.
b. Does your design from Part (a) include a placebo treatment? Why or why not?
c. Does your design from Part (a) involve blinding? Is it single-blind or double-blind? Explain.