▁rep lic ability . ▁For ▁example , ▁these ▁concerns ▁can ▁be ▁partially ▁addressed ▁by ▁carefully ▁choosing ▁the ▁independent ▁variable , ▁reducing ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁measurement ▁error , ▁and ▁ens uring ▁that ▁the ▁documentation ▁of ▁the ▁method ▁is ▁sufficiently ▁detailed . ▁Rel ated ▁concerns ▁include ▁ach ieving ▁appropriate ▁levels ▁of ▁statistical ▁power ▁and ▁sens itivity . ▁ ▁Correct ly ▁designed ▁experiments ▁advance ▁knowledge ▁in ▁the ▁natural ▁and ▁social ▁sciences ▁and ▁engineering . ▁Other ▁applications ▁include ▁market ing ▁and ▁policy ▁making . ▁The ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁experiments ▁is ▁an ▁important ▁topic ▁in ▁met as cience . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Statist ical ▁experiments , ▁following ▁Charles ▁S . ▁Pe ir ce ▁ ▁A ▁theory ▁of ▁statistical ▁inference ▁was ▁developed ▁by ▁Charles ▁S . ▁Pe ir ce ▁in ▁" Ill ustr ations ▁of ▁the ▁Log ic ▁of ▁Science " ▁( 1 8 7 7 – 1 8 7 8 ) ▁and ▁ ▁" A ▁Theory ▁of ▁Pro b able ▁In ference " ▁( 1 8 8 3 ), ▁two ▁publications ▁that ▁emphas ized ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁random ization - based ▁inference ▁in ▁statistics . ▁ ▁Random ized ▁experiments ▁ ▁Charles ▁S . ▁Pe ir ce ▁randomly ▁assigned ▁volunte ers ▁to ▁a ▁blind ed , ▁repeated - me asures ▁design ▁to ▁evaluate ▁their ▁ability ▁to ▁disc rim inate ▁weights . ▁Pe ir ce ' s ▁experiment ▁inspired ▁other ▁research ers ▁in ▁psych ology ▁and ▁education , ▁which ▁developed ▁a ▁research ▁tradition ▁of ▁random ized ▁experiments ▁in ▁labor ator ies ▁and ▁special ized ▁text books ▁in ▁the