What is the purpose of blinding in clinical trials?

Blinding in clinical trials serves the important purpose of keeping specific parties unaware of treatment assignments to reduce bias. When participants (subjects) or researchers involved in the administration of the treatment or evaluation of outcomes do not know which participants are receiving which treatment, it helps to prevent their expectations or beliefs from influencing the results. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the trial and ensuring that any effects observed can be attributed solely to the treatment itself rather than external factors or biases introduced by the knowledge of the treatment assignments.

In this context, option B accurately captures the essence of blinding, which is to maintain objectivity and reduce potential biases that can affect the validity of the trial's outcomes. This ultimately helps in achieving more reliable and scientifically valid results that can inform medical decisions and policy.