In a research study, a group that experiences the manipulated independent variables is generally known as:

The group that receives the manipulated independent variable is called the experimental group.

A placebo group receives an inactive treatment to control for expectation effects, not the real manipulation.

The control group is deliberately kept free of the manipulation to serve as a baseline for comparison.

Independent group is not the standard term for the treated group in experimental design.

Comparing the experimental group with the control group isolates the effect of the independent variable.

Random assignment to these groups is what distinguishes a true experiment from a quasi-experiment.