Final answer:
The statement is true. In VSEPR theory, both double bonds and single bonds count as a single electron group when predicting molecular structure. An example is the linear structure of carbon dioxide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'In VSEPR theory, a double bond is treated exactly the same as a single bond when determining electron and molecular shapes' is true. According to VSEPR theory, the shape of a molecule is determined by the number of electron groups around the central atom. An important point to remember is that each multiple bond, whether it is double or triple, is counted as a single electron group, just like a single bond. For example, the molecule O=C=O (carbon dioxide) has two regions of high electron density around the central carbon atom, each double bond counting as one region, and with both arranged linearly at a bond angle of 180°, indicating that the electron pair geometry is identical to the molecular structure.