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Now, please think about this situation. Two scientists want to know if a certain drug is effective against high blood pressure. The first scientist wants to give the drug to one thousand people with high blood pressure and see how many of them experience lower blood pressure levels. The second scientist wants to give the drug to five hundred people with high blood pressure, and not give the drug to another five hundred people with high blood pressure, and see how many in both groups experience lower blood pressure levels. Which is the better way to test this drug?
Better way to test a blood pressure drug · Asked in 7 waves, 2006–2018 · 8,891 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
| Group | All 1000 get the drug | 500 get the drug; 500 don't | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 20% | 80% | 1175 | ±4 | |
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Social Survey 2018 | 2018-04-12 to 2018-11-10 | face to face | 2,348 | 1,175 |
| General Social Survey 2016 | 2016-04-05 to 2016-11-19 | face to face | 2,867 | 1,390 |
| General Social Survey 2014 | 2014-03-31 to 2014-10-13 | face to face | 2,538 | 1,239 |
| General Social Survey 2012 | 2012-03-20 to 2012-09-05 | face to face | 1,974 | 1,002 |
| General Social Survey 2010 | 2010-03-15 to 2010-08-12 | face to face | 2,044 | 716 |
| General Social Survey 2008 | 2008-04-17 to 2008-09-13 | face to face | 2,023 | 1,505 |
| General Social Survey 2006 | 2006-03-07 to 2006-08-07 | face to face | 4,510 | 1,864 |
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| Democrats |
| 16% |
| 84% |
| 376 |
| ±6 |
| Independents (incl. leaners) | 20% | 80% | 498 | ±5 |
| Republicans | 28% | 72% | 248 | ±8 |
General Social Survey 2018 · US adults 18+ living in households (English, and Spanish since 2006). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.