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Answer: C. placebo group

The description perfectly matches the definition of a placebo group, which receives an inert substance or treatment designed to appear identical to the active treatment.

Why C is correct: A placebo group is a specific type of control group in medical research that receives an inactive substance or procedure, known as a placebo, which has no therapeutic effect. This is done to account for the 'placebo effect,' where a patient's belief in a treatment can lead to perceived improvements, and to isolate the true efficacy of the experimental treatment.

A: The experimental group receives the actual treatment or intervention being tested.
B: A control group is a general term for a comparison group that does not receive the active treatment; a placebo group is a specific type of control group used when blinding is necessary.
D: An independent group is not a standard term for a comparison group in experimental design; 'independent variable' refers to the factor being manipulated.

Paper 1 tip: For research aptitude questions, a strong grasp of fundamental terminology related to experimental design and research ethics is crucial.