Treatment and control groups
Treatment and Control Groups
Treatment and control groups are fundamental concepts in experimental design in the field of statistics, psychology, medicine, and social sciences. They are used in randomized controlled trials, which are considered the gold standard in clinical research.
Definition[edit | edit source]
A treatment group is a group of individuals or units that receive the treatment or intervention under investigation. The purpose of the treatment group is to measure the effect of the treatment or intervention.
A control group is a group of individuals or units that do not receive the treatment or intervention under investigation. The purpose of the control group is to provide a baseline against which the effect of the treatment can be measured.
Purpose[edit | edit source]
The purpose of having both a treatment group and a control group is to eliminate confounding variables, or factors other than the treatment that might cause the observed effect. By comparing the treatment group to the control group, researchers can determine whether the treatment has an effect beyond what would happen naturally or due to other factors.
Randomization[edit | edit source]
In a randomized controlled trial, individuals or units are randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the control group. This random assignment helps to ensure that the two groups are similar in all respects except for the treatment. This helps to eliminate confounding variables and makes it more likely that any observed differences between the groups are due to the treatment.
Blinding[edit | edit source]
In some studies, the researchers and/or the participants do not know which group they are in. This is known as blinding. Blinding can help to prevent bias in the results.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
| Treatment and control groups Resources | |
|---|---|
|
 |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
